Schloss Kaiserebersdorf

The castle was besieged and taken by Matthias Corvinus in 1485 and later destroyed during the First Turkish Siege of Vienna in 1529. It was subsequently restored and transformed by Emperor Maximilian I into a magnificent Renaissance hunting and pleasure palace. Wolves were kept here for hunting purposes.

In 1552, Maximilian II established what is considered Europe’s first menagerie at the palace. The collection included lions, tigers, giraffes, bears, and even “Soliman,” Vienna’s first elephant. In 1607, the menagerie was relocated to Schloss Neugebäude, and later to Schönbrunn Palace, where Vienna’s zoo still exists today.

During the Second Turkish Siege (1683), the castle burned down completely. It was rebuilt in Baroque style under Leopold I, whose initials can still be seen above the main portal beneath a double-headed eagle. In 1773, Joseph II converted the complex into an artillery barracks. During the Coalition Wars (1792–1809), it served as a military hospital, later as infantry quarters and a clothing depot. Since the late 1920s, Schloss Kaiserebersdorf has been used as a prison.

The site reflects centuries of transformation: fortress, imperial hunting lodge, exotic animal park, military installation, and finally correctional institution.