Purkersdorf Castle

Purkersdorf Castle is a castle in Purkersdorf, Lower Austria. It is located west of Purkersdorf's main square, behind the parish church of St. James the Elder. Four three-story wings are arranged around a rectangular courtyard. In addition, there is a two-axis projection with a tower-like risalit and gate.

As early as the beginning of the 11th century, a Purchart de Louppah (Laabach near Gablitz) is said to have erected a fortified house at this location and, after centuries of desolation, founded a new forest settlement. In 1255, the "castrum Purchartsdorf" is first mentioned in documents as the property of Heinrich von Kreuzenstein. The landlord built a moated castle to protect the country, which had very strong walls with loopholes. This "fortress" was surrounded by a deep moat, which could only be crossed from the east via a drawbridge. On the east side were defensive structures at the corners and a square keep built of ashlar stones, towering over the massive structure. At the corners of the western castle wall, round knob towers provided further protection. In 1284, a part of the castle came into the possession of the Teutonic Order. In the first quarter of the 14th century, Purkersdorf came to Reinprecht I von Wallsee through marriage, who sold the lordship of Purkersdorf to the Habsburgs in 1333.

From 1500 to 1788, the "Imperial Forest Office" had its seat here. In 1788, it was merged with the Chief Master of the Hunt's Office in Vienna. An interim authority, the Purkersdorf Chief Forestry Office, remained in Purkersdorf Castle until its abolition in 1830. From 1830, Purkersdorf Castle served as a simple forestry office, which from 1873 bore the name "k. k. Forst- und Domänenverwaltung" (Imperial and Royal Forest and Domain Administration), the later forest administration of the Austrian Federal Forests.

The castle was destroyed by fire in 1529 during the First Siege of Vienna by the Turks and subsequently drained and rebuilt from 1533 to 1553. In 1683, during the Second Siege of Vienna, it again fell victim to the Turks. Emperor Leopold I had the former moated castle, now called a castle, restored without towers from 1684 to 1688. Around 1800, the court kitchen and an office of the forest administration were established in the Zwinger between the inner and outer castle walls. After a major fire in 1842 that destroyed half of Purkersdorf, the castle was to be demolished. After demolition attempts proved unsuccessful, it was decided to restore the building. In 1896, the remains of the moat and fortifications were removed. Today, the castle houses the Purkersdorf District Court, the Purkersdorf City Museum, a group practice, and private apartments.