Baroque Castle Harrachegg (a historical overview compiled by Kurt Klöckl)
The Sausal has been in the possession of the Archbishops of Salzburg since the 10th century. Harrachegg served as the administrative seat and office of the mining court on the northwest slope of Demmerkogel. Illustration of Baroque Castle Harrachegg The Baroque Castle Harrachegg - today it houses municipal apartments. Nothing remains of the old "Berghaus" Thunegg, named after Archbishop Count Thun (1654-1668). Instead, the primary school Höch now stands in its place. According to a coat of arms stone above the gate, the associated wine cellar, once a depot for the mining rights (wine or must contributions), was established in 1648 in celebration of the end of the Thirty Years' War. In 1680, "the high princely Hof- and mining rights house Thunegg in Sausal, located at the top of Zwickl at Kalchriegel in the parish of St. Andreas" is mentioned.
Under the reign of Archbishop Franz Anton Count Harrach (1709-1727), the new official building, the ornate Baroque castle Harrachegg, was constructed. The estate description from 1805 lists the mining court house Harrachegg and the old Berghaus Thunegg.
This estate located in Sausal is commonly referred to as "Mountain Court Harrachegg" or "Mountain Office Sausal". It was divided into a front and a back mountain office, counted no less than 1324 lordly mountain and renthold farms in 1805, and was an integral part of the archiepiscopal Salzburg dominion of Deutschlandsberg until 1812. The lands of the subjects were scattered across 47 vineyards and hills. The wine tithe represented the most important income.
In the course of secularization, Harrachegg came under state administration in 1803 and 1805, became a separate dominion owned by Moritz Count von Friehs in 1812, and further passed to the Princes of Liechtenstein. After several changes of ownership, it belonged to the Caritas Association in Graz and has been in the possession of the municipality of St. Andrä-Höch since 1987. The castle has been revitalized and today offers space for 6 families. The castle cellar has been renovated by the Cultural and Leisure Association Sausaler Wine and Cultural Cellar and is available for rent for events.