Rothmühle Castle

Rothmühle Castle is a Baroque castle in Rannersdorf, a district of Schwechat in Lower Austria.

The building, which has been owned by the municipality of Schwechat since April 1967, was first mentioned in a document around 1300 and has been used over the years as a mill, textile factory, leather factory, and workers' quarters. The name of the castle changed over time from "Mill in the ground on the other side of the water" to "Mill on the Lower Ground" and to "Red Mill" later to "Rothmühle". The origin of the name cannot be clearly proven. Publications suggest that the castle was formerly built of red bricks, and thus the name "Rothmühle" originated.

Just as the names and uses changed over time, so did the owners of the castle. The most famous owner is Anna Maria von Posch, née Eulenschenk, the wife of the physician and miracle healer Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), who also resided in the castle at that time.

The castle was significantly damaged by bomb hits in the last phase of World War II. After being provisionally repaired, the castle was used as a residence for working-class families until its purchase by the municipality of Schwechat on April 28, 1967. After the acquisition, the listed building on the approximately 6,500 m² site was renovated for 8 million Schilling (approximately 2 million Euros in 2011 purchasing power) by 1972 and was repeatedly fully renovated by the municipality of Schwechat in 2001.