Sommerau Castle

The castle stands on the grounds of one of the oldest farms in the municipality, the Pruggenbauer or Stockreiterhof, known since 1331. In 1881, the property came into the possession of the Landauer family, who had the farm buildings demolished in 1884 and the country house Sommerau built in their place. In 1894, the villa passed into the possession of the Hungarian magnate Geza Count Brunsvik de Koromba, who finally expanded it into a castle for 50,000 guilders according to plans by the Graz architect Jellinek. In 1902, the property was sold to the company Holzmann et Companie and converted into a luxury hotel. In 1906, the castle went to Arthur Horny, who again used it exclusively as a country and administrative seat for his estates. During the Third Reich, a forestry school was established here from 1939, and from 1945, the building served as a hospital for the German Wehrmacht. In 1951, the Styrian War Victims' Association (KOV) took over the castle and opened a holiday home here for war orphans and victims. The home was named after the Graz city councilor Franz Jawornik, who had rendered outstanding services to war invalids and returnees. In 1978/1979, the complex was expanded with a swimming pool and a small café.