Velden Castle

Velden Castle, or the former Velden Fortress, is located in the municipality of Neufelden in the Rohrbach district of Upper Austria. The parts of the building that still exist today can be found at Burggraben 1 and Markt 2.

The castle was first mentioned in a document in 1161, when it was owned by the Knights of Velden. Around 1206, a knight named Hans Velden is mentioned. Helmhart der Rothe was slain in 1266 during an invasion by the Bavarians, who besieged, conquered, and burned the town. His daughter Klithilde was married to Ullo von Blankenberg. Through pawning, the Velden dominion then came into the possession of the Prince-Bishopric of Passau. In 1311, Hans von Kapellen, who also owned Pürnstein Castle in 1337, was found there. In 1383 and 1388, the Velden Fortress was documented there.

From 1347 to 1443, administrators were appointed to the castle. These include: Chrunrat II von Tannberg (1347; † 1354), Hertlein Herleinsperger (1391), Peter Schönauer and Knight Andreas Herleinsperger (1413). From 1430 to 1479, the property was pledged to the Herleinsperger family. A Thomas Velden was listed as the parish priest of Kirchberg in 1501. The Herleinsperger family redeemed the Velden dominion from Passau in 1503. Around 1505, the property came into the possession of Hans von Tannberg (from the Aurolzmünster line). He was succeeded by Achaz Prembser. At the time of the Peasant Wars, Velden was besieged and devastated by 800 peasants on May 19, 1626. The fortress was the seat of the Passau administrator and the administrative court; later, a prison was housed there. The fortress was largely demolished in 1699 and replaced by a bourgeois house in 1789.

In 1789, the property was sold by the Diocese of Passau to the linen merchant Karl Wöß, who erected the current building. Further owners were Franz Zwiermiza, Josef Karl Peßler (1810), Gabriel Kobelmüller (1825), Anton Löffler (1826), and the Weilnböck family (1829 to 1900). Since 1926, the castle has been owned by the Scherrer brewing family.