Arbing Castle

Arbing Castle is located in the municipality of Arbing in the Perg district of Upper Austria (Schloßberg 2). The ground floor of the building is now used as the "Schlosstaverne" (Castle Tavern).

In 1137, a "Gerboto de Arbingin" first appears as a vassal under the high-ranking Gottschalk von Perge-Machland in a document of the Austrian Duke Leopold IV. Arbing subsequently became a Kuenringer and then a Liechtensteiner fief. In 1288, it passed to the ministerial family of Wetzel von Arbing ("Wetzelo de arbing"). In 1356, a Wetzel von Erwing is mentioned, in 1394 Dietreich and Dietmar die Wetzel von Ärbing are still mentioned, and in 1406 a Wetzel von Arbing. Wetzel IV and his son Dietmar both held the office of regional judge in Machland.

The Wetzel von Arbing remained in possession of the castle until 1406. In 1464, Hans von Liechtenstein granted the lordship of Arbing to Pilgrim Walch, and in 1485 it belonged to Lassla Prager. He was followed by the Walchen, who then called themselves Walchen von Arbing. The church of Arbing was built as a proprietary church by the Walchen in 1483, and the castle was rebuilt. Two tombstones made of red-speckled Adnet marble from 1520 and 1509 in the parish church commemorate this family. In 1523, Simon Geyer von Osterberg acquired the castle from the Walchen. Owners from the Osterberg family mentioned are Simon (1523–1535), Hektor, Roman and Karl (1535–1537), and then another Karl (1537–1544). In 1544, this Karl Geyer von Osterberg sold the castle and lordship to Beck von Leopoldsdorf. In 1557, the Yslung von Tratzberg came into possession of Arbing. In 1590, Arbing returned to the Geyer von Osterburg. In 1602, the treasurer Baron Hans Jakob Löbel bought Arbing. As a dowry for his daughter Elisabeth, Arbing then passed to Rudolf von Sprinzenstein. In 1622, the Sprinzensteiners sold the lordship of Arbing to Count Leonhard Helfrich von Meggau zu Greinburg. He added Arbing to his estate of Greinburg. From the heirs of Meggauer, Arbing passed through the heiresses to the Starhembergs (1644–1646), to Count Gottfried Breuner (1646–1668), Siegmund Ludwig von Dietrichstein (1668–1700), and to Count Oktavius Cavriani (1700–1716). He was followed by Count Norbert von Salburg (1716–1811) and then Josef Karl Count von Dietrichstein (1811–1824). At the beginning of the 18th century, Arbing was redesigned: the moat was filled in, the wall was demolished, and the former palas was transformed into a castle.

In 1824, Count Christoph von Clam-Martinic acquired Arbing and united it with his lordship of Clam. In 1845, Countess Gabriele vom Paumgarten was co-owner of Arbing. In 1906, Count Heinrich von Clam-Martinic sold the dilapidated castle building (without the church and tower) to the innkeeper Josef Schweiger.