Karlau Castle

The construction of Karlau Castle took place between 1584 and 1590 under the direction of architects Antonio Tade and Antonio Marmoro. It served Archduke Charles II as a hunting and pleasure palace, as well as his summer residence. It was originally intended to be named “Schloss Dobel,” but this was rejected due to potential confusion with another hunting lodge. The marsh and swamp land was named “Karl-Au” after the regent. After Charles II's death, the castle became the residence of his widow Maria, who initiated extensions. A ring wall with four towers, some of which were later demolished, protected the estate. The castle was surrounded by a menagerie and imperial hunting grounds, where wildlife such as falcons, herons, and pheasants were bred and released into the Mur floodplains. From 1756 to 1763, Karlau Castle served as a prisoner-of-war camp, and from 1769, as a workhouse. In 1803, it was converted into a provincial penitentiary.