History

Glimpses of the past

A fortified farm was erected at the site of Obermayerhofen in 1170. A Castle built for its protection, stood nearly but no dates are known about its existence.

It’s owner in 1315 is Heinrich Mayerhofer, bishop of Gurk and dean of St. Stephans cathedral in Vienna. One of his descendants, Konrad sells the property to Knight Härtel of Teuffenbach in 1377.

The illustrious Knights of Teuffenbach hold on to Obermayerhofen for almost 230 years, gradually extending their holdings and making Obermayerhofen into the centre of their vast estate.

After Bernhard of Teuffenbachs’s death 1540 his four sons inherited equal shares, each one receiving a quarter store of the castle’s fourteen rooms and surrounding land.

This led to incessant quarrelling between the brothers, until in 1552 the youngest, Servaz of Teuffenbach, bought out his older brothers and begins the renovate the Schloss.

The work is finished in 1574.

During the building works, Andrä one of Servaz of Teuffenbachs’s brothers accuses him of having stolen considerable quantities of building materials from him.

In the course of one of their arguments, the Mayerhofen factor, Niklas Protonotzky is killed by Andrä’s son.

Servaz vof Teuffenbach's second wife was Katharina von Herberstein. She died 1606 at the age of 64 and is buried in the chapel. The sepulchre is still in place.

The Urbar of Obermayerhofen in 1636 describes the castle as being well-built in an exceptionally pleasant location and having attractive rooms.
Of particular note were the newly restored chapel- which had been neglected by the Protestant Knights of Teuffenbach, the deep well with its flavoursome water, also its vast gardens including newly established kitchen – and herb gardens and parkland, all surrounded by a brick wall.

Josef Graf Kottulinsky bought Schloss and landed property in 1777. He built a new farm, where, on the wall facing the courtyard his crest and that of his wife Elisabeth von Falkenhayn can be seen to this day.

After 1848 years, Obermayerhofen was mainly used during the summer and autumn months.

After the death of Ernestine Khuen-Belasi, née Kottulinsky, Obermayerhofen was left to her niece Maria, who in turn, left it to Emil Taulow in 1939.

After the war, the Schloss was ransacked and badly damaged by occupation troops, and left to delay.

Harald Kottulinsky bought back the ancestral Schloss in 1977 and in 1986 established the luxurious hotel.

His wife, Brigitte Kottulinsky has been running it since 1991 and extended the park by 140.000m² in 1999.