Schlaining Castle

 

Schlaining Castle, near the town of Oberwart, is located at a formerly strategically important point at the intersection of several trade routes connecting Szombathely (Steinamanger), Graz, Wiener Neustadt and Sopron (Ödenburg). Schlaining Castle was first mentioned in 1271 as „castrum Zloynuk“. At that time it was owned by the Lords of Güns-Güssing. In the 15^th century, Andreas Baumkircher acquired the fortress. Many legends surround his name in the region still today, especially in connection with the so-called „Baumkircher feud“ (1469-1471) against Emperor Frederick III, which finally led to Baumkircher’s execution in Graz. His granddaughter Barbara was then able to hold on to the property for a while, but after years of litigation from 1527 to 1544 she had to cede it to the noble Batthyány family, who remained the owners for over 300 years. Only after the execution of Ludwig Batthyány in 1849, the castle again fell to new owners, including the Hungarian Chamber, the railroad pioneer Dr. Franz Schmidt, Dr. Demeter Selesky and the Hungarian Hermesbank, as well as the former Austrian Federal Minister DDDr. Udo Illig.