Schmida Castle

In the Middle Ages, the small moated castle of Schmida was also part of the possessions of Göttweig Abbey. The abbey enfeoffed various minor nobles with Schmida. Thus, until about 1300, the knightly lords of Schmida named themselves after their fief.

Around 1140, Guntherus and Hartmut de Smida are mentioned. They were followed by the Lords of Werd. Leb von Smidach, mentioned in 1355, came from this family. In the early 14th century, the local vassals of the monastery called themselves Schmidacher or Smidacharius. In 1313, the old castle chapel is first documented. Among the changing owners in the 14th century were the Stockhorner, and in the 15th century the Kling and Rohr as well as the Dossen von Hagendorf. After their extinction, the lordship fell to Emperor Frederick III in 1480.

He handed it over to the Pruschenk family in 1482. In 1485, the Hungarians occupied and devastated the castle. In 1524, Julius I von Hardegg acquired the old fortress. The building, destroyed by the Turks in 1529, was rebuilt around 1548. A tower was erected on the site of the chapel. In 1569, Schmida fell to Count Heinrich II von Hardegg as part of an inheritance division. Between 1595 and 1600, the medieval castle was converted into a Renaissance castle under Count Georg Friedrich, the son of Heinrich II. Further extensions followed between 1709 and 1719 by Johann Julius Graf Hardegg. The Baroque chapel was consecrated in 1724.

Since 1716, Schmida has been a free property of the Hardeggs. It was annexed to their lordship of Stetteldorf and was soon only used as a hunting lodge and stud farm. Until 1945, the Counts of Hardegg inhabited the small castle annually, at least during hunting season. However, due to post-war events, it became uninhabitable for decades. The current owner, Georg von Stradiot, inherited Schmida Castle in 1983, along with several other castles and palaces from the Hardegg estate. The building was restored and has been inhabited again since 1983.