Kirchstetten Castle

The castle’s striking core structure dates back to the 16th century. Originally a four-winged complex with a moat, defensive walls and small outworks, the castle came into the possession of the imperial court physician Matthias von Suttner in 1729. He had it remodelled in the Baroque style to plans by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach.

A major highlight in terms of art history is the Maulpertsch Hall, named after Franz Anton Maulpertsch (also spelled Maulbertsch), creator of the ceiling fresco The Triumph of Truth over Time. The hall’s end walls feature two large-format portraits by the Rococo painter Franz Anton Palko. They depict the Suttner family, from which the famous Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bertha von Suttner also descended. In the early 20th century, she was often a guest of her relatives in Kirchstetten.

After 1945, the Suttner family left the castle, which remained in the family’s ownership until 2015. For decades the building stood uninhabited and unused. For the Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition in 1998 (“aufmüpfig & angepasst”), it was partially renovated and opened to the public for the first time. Today, the castle is privately owned by the Auer-Welsbach family and is opened for numerous events.