Wolfstein Castle

The area around Wolfstein belonged to a high-ranking branch of the Kuenringer family in the 11th and 12th centuries. At the beginning of the 13th century, the Wolfstein family, who by then only held ministerial status, owned large areas in the Dunkelsteiner Wald as a fief from the Bavarian dukes. They appointed administrators to Wolfstein Castle. In 1217, a Perchtold von Wolfstein is mentioned, who belonged to the followers of the Kuenringer. In 1355, the Dürnstein line of the Kuenringer died out. The heiress Anna brought the Bavarian fief into her marriage with Heidenreich von Maissau.

Until the 15th century, Wolfstein was the seat of a regional court. Around 1430, the lordship passed to the Tursen von Tiernstein and towards the end of the century to the Mühlwanger family. Thereafter, there were multiple changes of ownership between the Geyer von Osterburg (1542) and the Starhemberg family. After the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, the possessions of the Protestant Ludwig von Starhemberg were also confiscated. Wolfstein first came as a pledge and then in 1630 by purchase to Göttweig Abbey. The Bavarian Duke renounced his feudal rights, so that Wolfstein could become the free property of the monastery. However, it lost importance as Göttweig moved the seat of power from the castle to the more conveniently located Gurhof.

The castle was already very dilapidated, so that the castle chapel, mentioned in 1392, had to be moved to the gatehouse. The remaining buildings soon became ruins. In 1993, Andrea and Helmut Mayr acquired the already very dilapidated complex. They secured the walls and made parts of the outer bailey habitable again.