Hardt Castle

Hardt Castle is a district of Großaitingen in the Augsburg district. The four-sided courtyard complex is situated slightly elevated on a slope.

The main building of the castle estate is a two-story gabled roof building with a small clock turret and a wooden onion dome. Opposite it, to the west of the area, stands the two-story administrative building with a mansard roof. The core of the castle presumably dates back to 1494.

In 1769, Joseph Maria Langenmantel von Westheim, abbot of the Monastery of St. Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg, had the castle and chapel expanded into his summer residence after a fire, incorporating older parts. The castle chapel St. Anna was probably designed by Joseph Dossenberger, Ignaz Paulus, or Franz Xaver Kleinhans:

“The sovereign design of the new summer residence was reflected in its lavish furnishings. In the chapel, Joseph Mages painted a fresco cycle with scenes from the life of Mary and Saint Anne. Langenmantel's coat of arms was affixed to the organ. In the castle's staircase, the (now lost) fresco by Joseph Hartmann from Augsburg with the theme 'Joseph and his Brothers' alluded to the patron.”

Already in 1777, the splendor-loving church prince had to sell the heavily indebted Hardt estate. Many other owners followed, including Maria Anna of Bavaria, a half-sister of King Ludwig I and Queen of Saxony. In 1827, Hardt came into the possession of the baronial family von Lotzbeck, who operated a branch of their Karlsruhe snuff factory Gebrüder Lotzbeck in Augsburg.

After a devastating fire in February 1946, which completely destroyed the castle chapel, the castle was rebuilt as a two-story building without a chapel. In memory of the house's tradition, the Lotzbecks had a small shingle-roofed round chapel built in the park in the 1950s by architect Helmut von Werz.

The castle is surrounded by an enclosure wall with towers, whose basic elements date from the 16th century. East of the castle wall is the small round chapel. The two-story administrative building with a mansard gable roof is also likely from 1760.

Further outbuildings with hip and gable roofs were added in the 19th century.

The entire area is a protected monument and is not accessible to the public.