Putterer Castle

Putterer Castle, also known as Puttererschlössl, is a former minor noble's seat in the municipality of Aigen im Ennstal and is a protected monument.

Putterer Castle is situated on a hill above Lake Putterer and was once a typical noble estate for the Styrian minor nobility. Originally, there was also a defensive structure, which, however, was not very pronounced to withstand a sustained attack or siege. Nothing remains of the defensive walls and towers today. Currently, Putterer Castle is a youth hostel meeting modern standards.

Around 1200, the noble estate named Aigen was built and was owned by various Styrian minor nobles. In the period from the 14th century to the first quarter of the 15th century, the estate was characterized by frequent changes of ownership. In 1437, Veronika von Drikopf married Veit Putterer von Aigen and brought the property into the marriage. From this point on, the estate remained in the Putterer family for several centuries and thus received the name Putterer Castle. In the 16th century, the Putterer family converted the property into a castle. In 1729, the Putterers were elevated to the noble rank of counts. On the occasion of the peasant unrest in 1739, there were plans to storm the castle and expel Countess Maria Isabella Putterer. However, this plan was not carried out. By 1756, Putterer Castle had fallen into disrepair. Additionally, it had been significantly damaged by a fire. Subsequently, there were frequent changes of ownership again, and the property increasingly decayed until it resembled a semi-ruin. In 1905, Johann Keller acquired Putterer Castle, began renovation and construction work, and established a guesthouse. Over the years, further modernizations of the castle followed.

The "noble Christof Putterer zum Aigen", two wives, the "noblewoman Potentiana" († 1571) and Maria, née Tollingerin († 1570), are buried in Gröbming.