Traunegg Castle

Traunegg Castle stands on the edge of the Traun Terrace in the municipality of Thalheim bei Wels in the district of Wels-Land. It was built in 1577 by Bernhard Jörger von Tollet and later modified by subsequent owners in the Baroque style. After extensive renovation of the building starting in the 1980s, it is now used for residential purposes.

As a predecessor building, a manor house owned by the Polheim family was documented at the site of the present castle in 1283. Around 1412, the estate in Thalheim received the name Erdingerhof after its new owners, the Wels merchant family Erdinger. The castle, first documented in 1577, was built by Bernhard Jörger von Tollet and elevated to a noble seat by Emperor Rudolf II, exempt from all duties and taxes. Bernhard Jörger also laid out a first castle park. The Erdingerhof now received the name Trauneckhof. In 1587, Bernhard Jörger sold the castle to Ludwig Althamer. His son sold it in 1643 to Matthias Castner from Sigmundslust Castle in Vomp.

In the 18th century, Traunegg was owned by Andreas Edler von Renckh, the Auerspergian chief administrator of the Wels castle bailiwick. He expanded the stately home into a Baroque castle in 1730. The stucco ceiling on the first floor of the building also dates from this period. Renckh's descendants sold the property in 1779 to Josef von Scharz. In the following years, ownership changed frequently. Among these were in 1837 the Upper Austrian governor, Baron Philipp von Skrbensky, in 1861 Count Wilhelm Spanocchi, and in 1874 Baron Heinrich von Franckenstein. Under the latter, a landscape garden with partly terraced green areas was created. A wooden two-story veranda was added to the northeastern castle facade. An existing greenhouse of the castle nursery was demolished.

In 1925, the property came into the possession of the Counts of Eltz, who remained owners of the castle until 1960. The property was sold in 1959/60 for 2.1 million Schilling to Josef Haid. The new castle owner had little interest in the listed building and sought to sell the lands belonging to the estate as building land. In 1988, the castle also changed hands for 7.3 million Schilling. At that time, the building was in a desolate state. Private investors had the castle renovated and 28 residential units set up in it, which are now rented out.