Hausenbach Castle

The castle, presumably dating from the 12th century, was first mentioned in a document in 1237. Due to its location, it was simply called "House by the Stream".

Ulrich I von Doppel died in the fortress around 1282. In 1299, the brothers Ulrich and Rueger von Michelstetten lived here. In 1350, an Ulrich von Hausenbach is mentioned as a debtor of Weichard von Doppel in Karlstetten. The latter, however, must have been the owner of the castle, as in 1354 a Stephan von Toppel owned Hausenbach as a free property. As late as 1471, the Doppler family is named as owners. Between 1515 and 1580, however, the complex already belonged to the Zinzendorf family. Then Hans Jöppl von Arnsdorf owned it. He was probably responsible for its expansion into a Renaissance castle.

In 1585, Helmhart VIII Freiherr von Jörger acquired Hausenbach, which soon after was granted blood jurisdiction. Helmhart's namesake son was one of the leading Protestant rebels. After the Battle of White Mountain, he was imprisoned in Linz Castle in 1621 and lost his property. During the Thirty Years' War, the small town with the castle was plundered by imperial troops. In 1625, Hausenbach was handed over to Empress Eleonora. After her death, the Jörger family received half of their property back in 1656, including Hausenbach. A year later, the castle came into the possession of Georg Ludwig Graf Sinzendorf through marriage. In 1663, it must still have been well fortified, as it was designated as a refuge for the population at that time. The so-called "Turks' Redoubt" on the neighboring forest ridge, however, dates back to prehistoric times.

Hausenbach remained connected to Walpersdorf in terms of ownership until the third quarter of the 20th century. In 1972, the missionary society sold the castle to Dr. Decker. Meanwhile, Hausenbach has passed into other private hands. Around 1980, extensive restorations and modernizations took place, especially in the outer bailey.