Hagenberg Castle

Hagenberg Castle is a listed castle complex in Upper Austria and is located in the town of Hagenberg im Mühlkreis in the Mühlviertel region. The castle was first mentioned around 1370 and changed owners several times. Its decay began in 1928, and by the 1960s, it had become uninhabitable. From 1983, the castle was renovated by the municipality with the help of the state of Upper Austria and has housed the Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC) of Johannes Kepler University Linz, founded by Professor Bruno Buchberger, since 1989. Subsequently, the Softwarepark Hagenberg developed around RISC, which also includes the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Faculty of Computer Science, Communication and Media. The entire town benefited from the Softwarepark and the University of Applied Sciences through additional jobs.

In 1370, what is now Hagenberg Castle was mentioned as a small castle, then owned by Lord von Wartberg ob der Aist, Eberhard Stadler. In that year, he transferred the castle to the brothers Eberhard, Hans, and Ulrich von Kapellen as a free property and took it back as a fief. Albrecht Stadler's daughter married Georg von Zwingenstein around 1406, bringing Hagenberg into the possession of this family. Their daughter, Beatrix, married Georg Schießenberger in 1432. This family kept the castle until 1514 and expanded it into a palace. Around 1514, Hans Schießenberger sold the estate to his cousins Hans, Mert, and Leo von Hoheneck (also: Hohenegg). They built a crypt chapel next to the castle in 1610. Eva von Hoheneck married Georg Christoph von Schallenberg in 1615, and the castle passed into his possession.

In 1672, the castle was sold to Egon Gotthard Maurer von Hohenberg, who had the castle chapel built. When he died 20 years later, the castle passed to Johann Adam von Wöber. His daughter Regina married Hofrat Wolf Wilhelm von Blumental. Their son handed over the castle to Augustin Thomas von Wöber in 1754. Augustin had the castle church completed in 1770, which was elevated to a parish church under Emperor Joseph II. In 1750, the Hagenberg dominion comprised 238 subjects. In 1775, the Counts Thürheim, who also owned Weinberg Castle, bought the castle. Through marriage, it changed owners again: Countess Maria Franziska Thürheim married Count Michael Max Althan in 1801. Their daughter Franziska married Major Friedrich Wilhelm von Dürkheim-Montmartin in 1862, who took over the castle in 1867. Under the Dürkheims, it received its current appearance: the characteristic tower was added to the former keep in 1892, and the crypt chapel was demolished in 1900. In 1928, the last owning Count Dürkheim died, and the castle began to decay.

In November 1938, Friedrich Lösch took over the castle. After World War II, the Soviet occupation forces occupied the complex and severely damaged it. Estate owner Lösch, virtually penniless, retreated to the nearby Meierhof at that time. In the following years, the castle served as emergency accommodation for various tenants. The building became increasingly dilapidated, an earthquake caused further damage in 1972, and in the mid-1970s, the owner applied for a demolition order. This was followed by the protection of the castle ruin by the Federal Monuments Office, and the building was preserved.

In 1983, the Hagenberg municipal council passed a resolution to save the castle and set a corresponding sign with the renewal of the tower roof. In 1985, the castle association was founded and supported the municipality in the renovation and revitalization. The state of Upper Austria provided monetary aid. As a result, in 1985, the municipality was able to lease the castle, which was more of a ruin, for 99 years. An institute of Johannes Kepler University in Linz was found as a user. The ruin was renovated and adapted as a technology center, even though numerous historical alterations were removed. In 1988, the executing architectural team Riepl/Moser was awarded the Architecture Prize of the State of Upper Austria for their work. In 1989, the Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC) was opened in the castle, and the first University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria was opened in the nearby Meierhof. Part of the castle serves as a community center.