Wiener Neustadt Castle

The first fortification in Wiener Neustadt was built around 1193/94, financed by the ransom for Richard the Lionheart, in parallel with the construction of the city wall. This early complex, whose exact location is unknown, was replaced at the beginning of the 13th century by a new building on the current site, initiated by Leopold VI. Due to the swampy ground, it was built on wooden piles. Under Frederick II the Quarrelsome, it was surrounded by a moat, outer walls, and corner towers. In 1246, the Battle of Leitha, in which Frederick II died, took place east of the castle. After an earthquake in 1348, which caused the castle to collapse, Leopold III began a larger reconstruction in 1378. On behalf of Duke Ernst and later Frederick III, the Corpus Christi Chapel and St. George's Chapel were added. The castle was also the scene of the siege by the estates during the Mailberg League and later by Matthias Corvinus in 1486. Under Maximilian I, it lost its status as a permanent residence. St.