Aich Castle

Aich Castle is a former castle in Upper Austria. It is located about 1.5 kilometers northeast of the town of Bad Zell in the Mühlviertel region. Around 1220, the castle belonged to the Zellhof dominion, was a small country castle, and is now a farm, Mair in Aich, with the farm name. It is a protected monument.

Around 1220, the castle belonged to the Zellhof dominion. In the 13th century, the castle was demolished and a new castle was built instead, with only the defensive tower remaining.

In 1422, the Lords of Tannpeck (also: Tannbacken) are mentioned as owners. Subsequently, the Kapellers bought the castle and the associated Maierhof, the Tannpeckhof, and became the feudal lords of the Tannpecks. Kaspar Tannpeck and his son Hans surrendered their two castles, Aich and Windhaag, to the enemies of Emperor Frederick III without a fight during the Hungarian War (around 1477). They were then captured and accused of high treason in 1485. Their possessions were confiscated, and the fief was declared forfeited. From 1485, the castle belonged to Lords Laßla Prager and Ulrich von Starhemberg. Regina Tannpeck, the daughter of Hans Tannpeck, married Laßla Prager. In 1492, the feudal lord of the Kapellen, Christoph von Lichtenstein, renounced the castle in favor of Regina. Laßla Prager was enfeoffed with Windhaag Castle by the Emperor. The marriage of the two reunited the old possessions.

In 1597, the dominions of Aich and Windhaag were sold by Baron Friedrich von Prag to Lorenz Schütter. His son, Lorenz Schütter, sold Windhaag Castle to Joachim Enzmilner in 1630 and Aich Castle to Michel Pernauer zu Pernegg. The latter soon sold Aich Castle to Hilleprant Jörger. As confessed Protestants, the Jörgers eventually had to sell all their possessions (Prandegg, the market town of Zell, Zellhof Castle, Pranthof (municipality of Gutau), Habichrigl Castle, Aich Castle, and all other farms and tithes) in 1631 to Gotthard von Scherffenberg (also: Schärfenberg), Lord of Spielberg. However, he died relatively soon after, and his widow married Hans Reichard von Starhemberg in 1636. Scherffenberg's widow sold the castles of Aich, Habichrigl, and Zellhof in 1645 to her son-in-law Georg Siegmund von Salburg, the owner of Prandegg. The castle then remained in the possession of this family for a longer period.

From 1823, the castle was separated from the dominion and sold to farmers. The new owner had the tower and chapel demolished, and the palas was rebuilt or reduced to a farmhouse structure. In 1885, Georg Kranawitter bought it and bequeathed it to his daughter (1920). In 1952, it passed to the Mayr family through marriage, which is why the former castle is now called Mayrhof.