Uninhabited
CastleSchlierbach-Dorff
Dorff Castle
Dorff Castle is located in the municipality of Schlierbach (Upper Austria) in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria (Stiftsstrasse 35).
Dorff Castle is the only castle in Upper Austria that has been owned by the same family, namely the Hayden family, for 600 years. The Hayden von und zu Dorff, who belonged to the knightly and later the baronial class (elevated on June 7, 1888, by Emperor Franz Josef I), are among the oldest families in Upper Austria. A Berthold Hayden is already mentioned in 1317, his son Nikolaus in 1360. A document from Garsten Monastery in 1327 mentions the Steyr citizen Ruger von Hayden. Duke Albrecht II of Austria granted a manor farm in Molln to Ruger and Niklas von Hayden on August 10, 1336. Thomas von Hayden, son of Niklas, was judge in Kremsmünster and administrator in Scharnstein from 1376 to 1379. In 1400, Dorff became a fief of Duke Albrecht IV of Austria. A document from 1417 allowed Wolfgang von Hayden to serve wine at the castle. However, by 1607, the castle was so dilapidated that it was considered "ganz paufällig also das man es faßt nit bewohnen khan" (so dilapidated that it could hardly be inhabited).
In the 17th century, Christoph Benedikt Hayden von Dorff married Beatrix Spindler, owner of Weyer Castle. The Hayden von Dorff also held the estates of Inzersdorf for a long time and Lindach until 1758. The heiress Susanna of Wolf Siegmund von und zu Dorff married Christoph Adam von Zötliz in 1659, who brought money into the marriage and thus saved the property. Christoph Adam died very soon, so the castle passed to his nephew Christoph Adam von Hayden. He established a fideicommiss over his possessions in 1711, which was only abolished in 1939. Wolfgang von Hayden owned Dorff until 1913. Knight Baron Eduard von Hayden died in 1959 at the age of 75 and bequeathed the property to his granddaughter Angela Beck.
Dorff Castle then and now+
As can be seen from an engraving by Georg Matthäus Vischer from 1674, Dorff Castle was a moated castle, accessible via two bridges. Both bridges led over a gatehouse or a gate into an outer courtyard, from which the actual access to the castle was possible. The two-story castle building had a square entrance tower, a round tower on one side, and a central tower with a clock. A wall, which transitioned into a palisade fence, surrounded the castle and moat, an ornamental and utility garden, and the adjacent manor farm, which made a quite fortified impression.
Today, Dorff Castle conveys a significantly different impression: the surrounding pond has disappeared. The existing buildings have lost their uniform appearance due to many alterations and additions. Remains of the former round tower are still present in the left rear corner of the building. This tower has been removed up to roof height. The windows at different heights also indicate several alterations. On the rear side there are two windows with remarkable window baskets and a latrine bay.
On the front side there are two entrances. Between the second and third window there is a whitewashed construction joint, which indicates the location of the former square tower. The mansard roof dates from the time of the last renovation. Allegedly, the interior of the castle is very winding due to the many alterations. Access is through the left entrance. The steps are supported by concrete blocks. In front of the castle lies a cannon barrel. Above it is the coat of arms, presumably of the Haydens, which is barely recognizable anymore. The roof appears to have been renovated recently. The property behind the castle is overgrown and unkempt. The walls show many large, structural cracks. Previous rescue measures do not seem to have been carried out systematically.
In place of the vanished manor farm, there is now an inconspicuous building.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schlierbach_Schlo%C3%9F_Dorff.JPG
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 47.9425, 14.1273