Weidenholz Castle

Weidenholz Castle is located in the eponymous district of the municipality of Waizenkirchen in the Grieskirchen district of Upper Austria.

The castle was first mentioned in 1125. At that time, it was granted as a fief to Dietrich (Tietric) and Rudolf von Weidenholz, who in turn were vassals of the Schaunberger family. In 1276, Hadamar von Starhemberg confirmed the fief to Ulrich von Weydenholcz and his heirs, "the seat at Weidenholcz located near Waizenkirchen." At that time, Weidenholz was already a princely fief, granted as a sub-fief by the Starhemberg family. In 1331, the Schaunberger family again enforced the lost feudal sovereignty in their favor. After the death of Ulrich von Weidenholz's grandson of the same name († 1373), this lineage died out. The heirs were Göschl der Lerbühler and Chunrad (Chuntz) von Stegen, presumably Ulrich's sons-in-law. They sold the moated castle to Duke Albrecht III in 1375. In 1386, Zacharias Haderer, field captain of Duke Albrecht III, received Weidenholz, having already held this property as a pledge. In 1415, Andreas Hörleinsberger redeemed the pledge, from whom it was taken over in 1443 by Lorenz Kraft, administrator in the lordship of Steyr. King Ladislaus granted Weidenholz to Count Ulrich von Schaunberg as a life annuity in 1453. In 1460, Duke Albrecht VI pledged Weidenholz to the Counts of Schaunberg, who later acquired the castle by purchase.

In 1547, due to his debts, Count Georg II von Schaunberg sold Weidenholz to Hans Pergheimer (Bergheimer). He was subsequently granted lower jurisdiction. Bergheimer was an ardent Protestant and he endowed Weidenholz, together with the lordship of Würting, to the noble landscape school. In 1556, Bergheimer's son-in-law, Count Achaz von Losenstein, took over the moated castle from him. Through him, Waizenkirchen was elevated to a market town on May 11, 1593; his heraldic animal still appears in the municipal coat of arms of Waizenkirchen today.

In 1612, the Hohenfeld brothers took over the lordship from Christine von Losenstein, married to Wolfgang Bergheimer; upon the division of the estates, the castle and property fell to Ludwig von Hohenfeld. Due to his Protestant faith, Ludwig Hohenfelder had to emigrate; he sold the property to Count Hans Ludwig von Kueffstein, then governor of the country above the Enns. In 1704, Weidenholz was occupied and plundered during the War of the Spanish Succession. From the Kueffstein family, Weidenholz passed as a dowry in 1718 to Count Johann Weickhard Spindler. In 1819, the Linz merchant Eder became the castle owner. He was followed, again through marriage, by Count Julius Gilleis. In 1857, Weidenholz came through marriage to Count Hermann von Attems. In 1876, the castle burned down. The burnt ruin was acquired by Josef Aichinger from Peuerbach, who had Weidenholz largely restored. Afterwards, the castle passed to Count Coreth.