Stixenstein Castle

While older literature mostly assumes Stixenstein to be the ancestral castle of the Stüchse von Trautmannsdorf, newer research suggests that this family only acquired an already existing castle named Stein at the beginning of the 14th century and renamed it Stüchsenstein. The construction of the castle likely took place in the third quarter of the 12th century.

The Stüchse had the fortress renovated in 1347 after a fire and managed by burgraves. When the Stuchs von Trautmannsdorf sold Stixenstein to Duke Leopold III before 1381, the dominion became princely. A few years later, it was granted to the Hofmeister Hans von Liechtenstein. After his downfall, princely administrators were again appointed.

Emperor Frederick III commissioned the modernization of the defensive facilities in 1478. In 1488, troops of the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus captured the castle. Stixenstein, which became imperial again two years later, was now mostly given as a pledge. Around 1520, Marx Treitzsauerwein von Ehrentreitz took over the pledged property. In 1547, Hans Hoyos redeemed the dominion, which he purchased a year later. The already heavily neglected castle was expanded into a representative palace in the Renaissance style. Catastrophic were the fires of 1735 and 1802, which were triggered by carelessness. In 1802, only the main walls remained standing.

It was not until the 1820s that a half-hearted reconstruction began. Count Johann Ernst Hoyos-Sprinzenstein primarily had the more suitable outer bailey expanded as a residence. Stixenstein remained with the Hoyos family until 1937. When the City of Vienna acquired the Stixenstein spring, needed for the city's water supply, along with the surrounding forests, the castle also came into its possession. In the second half of the 20th century, the still-preserved buildings were largely restored. An association of the Friends of Stixenstein Castle is working towards its revitalization.