Stepperg Castle

Stepperg Castle is a three-winged complex open to the west, located on the outskirts of Stepperg, a district of Rennertshofen in the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district.

Stepperg has always been in the ducal, and from 788 royal, office of Neuburg an der Donau. The territorial lords were accordingly royal vassals, such as the Kalendine zu Neuburg from 1197 to 1214, the Pappenheimer from 1214 to 1247, and the Wittelsbachers from 1247. The Pappenheimer already appointed ministeriales and founded a Hofmark in Stepperg. These ministeriales founded the local noble family of the Lords of Stepperg, the first of whom was Berthold von Stettenberg in 1214. This family existed until 1335 (Heinricht von Stettenberg zu Berolzheim).

In 1350, the Falkner family followed as lords of the castle, and in 1400 the Hausner family, who in 1526 finally sold the Hofmark Stepperg, including the castle, official residence, and Danube ferry, to their cousin Mang Emershofer, bailiff in Niederschönenfeld. From 1551, Sebastian Pemerle, treasurer of Ottheinrich, was the owner. He sold the castle and Hofmark to Hans Jakob von Welser in 1561.

The three-story main building (central wing) of the current castle was built by the Welsers at the end of the 16th century. Through the marriage of Anna Welser to a member of the Italian noble family De Servi, the Barons von Servi became owners. The Servis were high officials at the Neuburg court for a long time. In 1789, Karl Philipp von Servi died without descendants. Sebastian von Staader, district governor in Neuburg, inherited the castle.

In 1800, the Electress Dowager Maria Leopoldine, who married Count Ludwig von Arco in 1804, bought the Stepperg estate. Leopoldine's two sons, Aloys and Maximilian, spent their early childhood there. Through improved agricultural use of the land, the princely estate owner was able to significantly increase yields and achieve high profits in the markets.

The two wing buildings with square towers at the western ends were added in 1806 and rebuilt in 1907 by Gabriel von Seidl. The castle is surrounded by a magnificent park with old trees and a wall from the 18th/19th century. The Hermes sculpture in the park is by Ludwig von Schwanthaler.

The Electress's granddaughter, Sophie Countess von Arco-Zinneberg, inherited Stepperg Castle and Estate. She married Count Ernst von Moy, who came from French nobility. The castle is still owned by the comital family von Moy. The castle and landscape park are not accessible to the public.

The area can be booked for film and photo shoots. In early 2009, the ZDF crime thriller "Entführt" (Kidnapped), which aired on March 3, 2009, was filmed in the castle's rooms.