Pottendorf Castle

The castle, which had survived the Turkish Wars undamaged, served as a hospital for the German Luftwaffe during World War II and then in the same function for the Russian occupation forces. In 1944, it suffered a relatively minor bomb hit, which, however, likely triggered the subsequent decay due to looting and devastation. A tragic accident in the owner family, who received the castle back in 1955 but subsequently paid little attention to the endangered building complex, was also a decisive factor. In 1967, the towers and chapel were re-roofed, but soon after, the roof structure of the residential wing collapsed, and the castle was left to decay.

By 2006, the park was completely overgrown and therefore closed, and the roofs had collapsed. The chapel is also largely destroyed.

In 2006, the municipality of Pottendorf acquired the ruin and castle park from Katalin Landon, née Esterházy. The purchase price for the 211,000 m² park including the castle ruin, mill, and hunter's lodge was, according to media reports, 600,000 Euros. A side agreement includes a down payment to the seller if the municipality re-zones parts of the castle park as building land within the next 25 years.

After the municipality was able to acquire the park, a renovation concept was designed and implemented with the support of all necessary authorities. The park has now been renovated to the extent that it could be reopened to the public on August 15, 2009. The opening took place with great public participation (estimated more than 1000 visitors). The future of the castle itself is still uncertain.