Sigmundsried Castle

The Lords of Ried appear in documents from the beginning of the 14th century. Hermann I von Ried was the regional judge in Prutz in 1312. He had the Tower of Ried built as a residence for himself and his son Erhart. In 1381, Hans von Starkenberg bought the lordship and was enfeoffed with it by Duke Leopold III of Austria. After the family's collapse, Duke Sigmund the Rich in Coin acquired the tower shortly after 1466 and had it converted into a hunting lodge. He also gave the building its name. However, his chronic lack of money forced him to pawn the tower as early as 1474. The first pledge holder was Oswald von Schrofenstein, followed by Hilprant Rasp. In 1481, Sigmundsried was again in the pledge possession of Oswald von Schrofenstein. In 1532, King Ferdinand I took over the lordship.

He gave it to Martin Pedrot, who, however, soon sold it to Veit von Wehingen. The latter had a chapel added, which, however, was desecrated and built over around the middle of the 17th century. After the death of his son Hans Franz, Sigmundsried passed to his son-in-law Christoph von Knillenberg in 1573. The Knillenbergs owned the tower castle until the middle of the 17th century. Under them, the court of Laudeck was moved to Sigmundsried, where the court administrator also had his residence. The administrator Andreas Sterzinger bought Sigmundsried around 1650 and soon named himself after it. His descendants owned the estate until 1775, when it passed into bourgeois and peasant hands. In 1787, a renovation took place. The district court remained housed in Sigmundsried until 1977. In 1841, the building was purchased by the state. Since 1977, it has been managed by the Austrian Federal Army. Since 1999, the castle has been owned by the municipality of Ried.