Katzelsdorf-Schloss

Schloss Katzelsdorf stands in the Lower Austrian village of Katzelsdorf. First built in the 12th century, it appears in the 1183 verse chronicle of the Minnesänger Ulrich von Liechtenstein. The present structure dates from the 17th century, when Wolf Mathias von Königsberg remodelled it as a water castle with three corner bastions. In the 19th century the estate passed through many hands, including those of Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s youngest sister, who owned it between 1822 and 1830. Marie Thérèse Charlotte de Bourbon, daughter of Marie Antoinette, held the castle in 1845. The property was bought in 1928 by Max von Freising, who created a stud farm and racing stables. During the Second World War soldiers occupied the main building while the outhouses housed the largest horse hospital on the Eastern Front. Heavy damage occurred both in wartime and under post-war occupation. A private owner restored the castle in the 1970s, and in 1993 the community of Katzelsdorf purchased it. With help from volunteers and local clubs, the castle became a venue for events and seminars, while catering is run by a tenant. Visitors now find a protected historic building set in parkland. The restored interiors host concerts, lectures and workshops throughout the year. The former stables and outbuildings frame a courtyard that opens onto landscaped gardens. Beyond the moat and bastions, the surrounding countryside offers quiet walks along the river banks. The castle’s long history remains visible in its walls, from medieval foundations to 17th-century fortifications and later adaptations.