Unterwittelsbach Castle

The moated castle Unterwittelsbach in Unterwittelsbach near Aichach in Bavaria, also called "Sisi Castle" or simply "the Castle" by locals, is a former hunting lodge of Duke Max in Bavaria.

The first historical mention of the moated castle dates back to the year 1126. At that time, however, a different castle stood on this site. Until 1500, it was owned by the Counts of Sandizell, then it passed into the possession of the Lords of Burgau. In 1533, the monastery of St. Ullrich and Afra in Augsburg acquired the property, and in 1537, Benedictine monks moved in and had the castle rebuilt to its present form. In 1777, the regional bishop of Reindl bought it. However, he sold it again in 1781 to Elector Karl Theodor. His family auctioned it off in 1811 to an Arnold von Link, who then finally sold it in 1838 to Duke Max in Bavaria, who used it as a hunting lodge and for recreation.

The Duke called the castle "his fortress" because it was away from the hustle and bustle of Bavarian state affairs, and he could relax and go hunting there. The castle gained fame because one of the Duke's daughters was Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, who enjoyed international popularity through the Sissi films.

The castle remained in family ownership until 1955, but from 1940 onwards it was used as emergency accommodation for refugees and displaced persons. In 1955, Prince zu Fürstenberg bought it as a residence for his newly married daughter. In 1972, a family from Munich bought it, only to sell it again in 1977.