Schloss Altkettenhof

Following further destruction during the Second Turkish Siege (1683), Count Otto Christoph von Volkra rebuilt the estate in Baroque style. In 1872, Count Bernhard von Rechberg and Rothenlöwen sold the manor to the brewer Anton Dreher, whose family played a major role in Austria’s brewing industry. Dreher had the building extensively remodeled in Neo-Baroque style, giving it much of its present appearance. The château served as the Dreher family residence in the early 20th century. Dreher’s widow, Käthe Dreher, lived here until her death in 1937.

After standing vacant for some time, the building was donated to the town of Schwechat by Eugen Dreher. During the Nazi period, it was used as a party school and converted into a military hospital (lazaretto) in 1942. Although the surrounding area was heavily bombed during World War II, the château itself survived. After the war, the Soviet Red Army established headquarters and barracks here.

In the aftermath of the Hungarian uprising, the estate temporarily accommodated around 1,000 Hungarian refugees. Since the mid-20th century, Schloss Altkettenhof has served judicial purposes and is currently used by the District Court and the Federal Justice School.

The building stands as a layered witness to centuries of political upheaval, private ambition, war, refuge, and public administration.