Riegersburg Castle

The name "Riegersburg" most likely derives from the aforementioned Rueger. A similar name also appears at this time in connection with the Neudegg ruin near Pulkau. Whether there is a connection here is not known.

Regarding the first mention of Riegersburg in the border region of Weinviertel and Waldviertel (Lower Austria), there are – depending on the source – different accounts: The oldest mention dates from 1212 (possession of the Counts of Hardegg or their retainers), another source names the year 1390 (a castle Ruegers is mentioned), and on the Riegersburg Castle homepage, the Counts of Hardegg appear again in connection with the first mention in 1427.

16th/17th Century

In 1568, Sigmund Count of Hardegg acquired the castle from the Eyczingers, who had owned it since 1441. In place of the dilapidated castle, he had a moated castle built and established his administrative seat for the Hardegg county, as well as his residence, there. His son Johann Wilhelm von Hardegg, after succeeding him, set about buying up indebted lordships and thereby fell into a severe financial crisis himself. After his death in 1635, bankruptcy proceedings were opened over his estate. His heir Julius von Hardegg took over the debts and, to repay them, sold the counties of Riegersburg and Hardegg in 1656.

18th Century

The buyers were the Counts of Saint-Julien (later Counts of Wallsee), who in turn sold the Hardegg county and the lordships of Riegersburg, Prutzendorf, and Ober- and Untermixnitz, including all appurtenances, on August 1, 1730, to Sigmund Friedrich von Khevenhüller, who had been elevated to Imperial Count in 1725.

A few days later, the buyer, together with his son Johann Joseph Khevenhüller-Metsch, who had co-signed the purchase agreement, set off for Riegersburg, where he found a dilapidated and most likely even uninhabitable building. In several phases between 1730 and 1780, the castle was built in its present form according to plans by Franz Anton Pilgram, a student of Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.

The chapel located in the north wing of the castle was consecrated in 1755.

20th Century

In 1945, some displaced persons from neighboring South Moravia were first housed in the castle, then the Russian occupation forces took up quarters there. After their withdrawal in 1955, not much of the original furnishings remained. Only in the still functional lord's kitchen did they leave behind a newly installed kitchen stove.

For the Lower Austrian State Exhibition in 1993, under the motto "Family – Ideal and Reality," the castle was partially renovated.

21st Century

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller's death in 2005, his play "Intrigue and Love" was filmed for television with Götz George, Detlev Buck, Katja Flint, Katharina Thalbach, and others, directed by Leander Haußmann. Besides Riegersburg Castle, other filming locations included Karlslust Castle near Niederfladnitz, Schrattenthal, Greillenstein, and Hagenberg Castle in Loosdorf.

Today, the castle and its associated property belong to the Pilati von Thassul zu Daxberg family.