Sonneck Castle

Sonneck Castle, also known as Buschenschlössl, is a castle in Sankt Bartholomä in Styria. Its current appearance dates from the second half of the 18th century and a recent renovation. Today, the building houses the headquarters of the PAYER Group.

The castle is located in the municipality of Sankt Bartholomä. It is situated east of Kreuzeck on the steep slope descending in a southeasterly direction, which separates the Liebochtal from the Södingtal.

The history of the estate can be traced back to the 14th century. At that time, a small, fortified noble seat of the Ligister family stood on the site of the present castle. In 1404, a "Ligaster Hoff" under the "Sunnekh" was mentioned for the first time. In 1445, Friedrich Lugaster resided on the estate. Later, the Ligister family sold the property to the Counts of Saurau. Until 1592, various relatives of the Saurau family resided on the estate. Due to high debts, the estate was sold in 1592 according to the testamentary will of Marusch von Neuhaus. Towards the end of the 16th century, Lorenz Weser is documented as the owner, whose son sold the property to Anna Maria von Pranckh. From her, it passed to the Wottgo family.

In 1694, Maria Beigna von Wottgo sold the estate to Christian Völkher, the guardian of the Wottgo heirs. Until 1884, there were several changes of ownership. In 1884, Josef Kaiser bought the estate and had it expanded to its present form. Since 1959, the building has served as the headquarters of the PAYER Group.