Description of the attraction
The second largest castle in Styria, Strehau Castle is located on a hilltop in the municipality of Lassing. The first fortress, consisting of only one residential tower, appeared on the site of the current Strehau castle in the second half of the 12th century. Its first owners were gentlemen who called themselves Burggraves of Strehau. At the beginning of the 13th century, the castle was ruled by the archbishops of Salzburg, who handed it over to the brothers Konrad and Rudolf von Trenstein. In those days, the Strehau fortress consisted of two castles - an upper and a lower one.
In 1528, the castle was acquired by Hans Hoffmann von Greenbühel. He received permission from Emperor Ferdinand I to mint his own silver coins. Hoffman was a Protestant, so he strongly supported the spread of the evangelical faith in his own lands. Under Hoffman, the castle was expanded and acquired a Renaissance look. Its decoration was a luxurious arcade, which gave grace to the palace. A Protestant castle chapel also appeared on the estate, which was later rebuilt in a Baroque manner. The last owner of the Strehau castle from the Hoffman family, Anna Potentiane Yorder, had to leave her possessions in a hurry during the Counter-Reformation. Until 1892, a stable and an administrative building were built here by the new owners. The grand ballroom received new decorations in a baroque manner.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Strehau Castle was ruled by Anton Stary, a friend of Archduke Johann. Some of the premises in the palace were rebuilt for the personal needs of the Archduke. A very beautiful garden adjoined the castle at that time. In it, Archduke Johann met his future wife Anna Plochl several times and even wanted to celebrate a wedding here, but his brother Emperor Franz I did not approve of the venue for the wedding celebrations.
Currently, Strehau Castle belongs to Harald Bosch.
