Schloss Altkettenhof, Baroque castle in Schwechat, Austria
Schloss Altkettenhof is a U-shaped baroque château in Schwechat, open toward the east and surrounded by a large park. Its facade is decorated with pilasters and risalits; a large conservatory stands on the south side, and a Söller serves as a terrace on the north side. The building lies between the Schwechat and Kalter Gang rivers.
Schloss Altkettenhof began in the 13th century as a small estate in the Alt-Kettenhof district of Schwechat and was repeatedly enlarged. In 1760 Chancellor Heinrich Kajetan von Blümegen acquired and extended it, founding the Kettenhofer Zitz- und Kattunfabrik there in 1766. Johann Bernhard von Rechberg bought it in 1850 and lived there until his death in 1899; in 1872 it passed to the brewer Anton Dreher junior.
Heinrich Kajetan von Blümegen founded the Kettenhofer Zitz- und Kattunfabrik in 1766 with two partners, a printed-cotton works tied to the estate. Johann Ziegler, later a co-owner of the castle, directed the factory. The building now serves as a district court and justice school, so the former industrial site is seen from outside rather than toured.
The castle currently houses a district court and justice school serving the region's legal education and administrative needs. Visitors should be aware that certain areas may have restricted access due to the building's official functions.
The 1902 neobaroque rebuild by Emil Bressler and Johann Miksch cost around 800,000 kronen, roughly 4 million euros. The interiors were fitted out by the Vienna furniture firm Portois & Fix. The bridge over the Schwechat near the mouth of the Liesing, destroyed in the Second World War, kept its foundations until 2009, when flood protection works removed them.
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