Helfenberg Castle

The Renaissance castle is located above the village of Helfenberg. Originally built as a castle, Helfenberg Castle was rebuilt in 1607.

Around 1224, a "Wirint de Helfenberch" is mentioned for the first time in a document of the Hohenfurt monastery. The old fortification above the parish church on the site of today's war memorial was probably built around 1250 as the predecessor of today's castle and extended in 1270. In 1285 the old castle belonged to the lords of Piber zu Piberstein, who saw to the expansion of the hitherto modest complex. The castle at Helfenberg is not mentioned again until 1430, when the castle came into the possession of the Neundlinger family. In 1500, the castle passed by inheritance to the brothers Peter and Christoph den Greisseneggern. In 1574, after a long inheritance dispute, the castle fell to Christoph Kienast, who sold it to Christoph Artstetter von Wartberg in 1587. From 1595 to 1630 the manor was owned by the Oedt von Götzendorf family. In 1607, Hans Christoph von Oedt had the present castle rebuilt from the ground up 300 m above the previous complex and an extensive library was set up. From 1630, the Schifer family lived in the castle until Siegmund Schifer, who was married to Barbara Regina von Oedt, sold Helfenberg to Johann Friedrich Märk von Gneisenau in 1655. The castle chapel was built under his descendants. In 1686, the castle was acquired by Johann Friedrich von Seeau and remained in the family for about 200 years. In 1750, 210 subjects belonged to the manor of Helfenberg. The daughter of the last Count von Seeau then sold Helfenberg to Countess Olympia Revertera-Salandra in 1893. The castle chapel, which had been closed under the Seeaus, was restored by the Revertera family and provided with a new altar. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, some alterations were made to the castle (renovation of the gate tower).

The Revertera family still owns the castle and its grounds today.