Clam Castle

Clam Castle was first documented in the mid-12th century, when it was owned by Otto von Machland and his brother Walchun. Through Walchun's heiress Adelheid, the castle passed to the Velburgers and, after the death of Ulrich von Clam-Velburg, fell to the sovereign. The feudal lords and owners changed, including the Holzer, Hauser, Zinzendorf, and Wolfstein families. From 1454, it belonged to the Counts of Hardegg, until Christoph Perger acquired it in 1524. The Perger family, who later received the titles "Edle Herrn zu Clam" and "Freiherrn," shaped the castle and the surrounding region. In 1759, Empress Maria Theresia bestowed the title "Erbländisch-österreichischer Graf" upon the family. After the extinction of the Clam-Clam line in 1815, the Clam-Martinic family took over the estate and still resides at the castle today.