Riedegg Castle

Riedegg Castle, locally known as Schloss Riedegg, lies in the village of the same name, in the province of Upper Austria in Austria.

Riedegg Castle was first mentioned in 1145. It was probably built a few years earlier by Gottschalk von Haunsperg. His family had donated the castle to the Bishop of Passau and had in return been granted the fief by the bishop. So when they died out in 1211, the castle fell to the bishop again. The bishops exercised the right to grant fiefs until 1411. During that time the castle often served as a pledge for money.

So, in 1380, after several fief holders, the castle was held by the Schaunberg family. During the Schaunberg Feud, around 1384, they had to return it to the bishop again, without any compensation due to a defeat. Again after several fief holders, it was bought by the Starhemberg family in 1411. They would own it over the following centuries.

In 1529 the old castle was strengthened and enlarged, with the help of forced labor from Turkish prisoners-of-war, by Erasmus I von Starhemberg. In 1609 the castle was destroyed by a large fire. The 16th century added wing, which had been built on the bailey, was subsequently rebuilt into the present 'Schloss'. The ruin of the old castle was consolidated and preserved as a ruin. 

An Englishman, called Slater, bought Riedegg Castle from the Starhembergs in 1933. Only to sell it to the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries 3 years later.

At present Riedegg Castle is used for seminars and it houses a school, a guesthouse, a youth hostel and an Africa museum. It can be visited as a guest of one of these institutions. Sadly enough it was closed when I came by.

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