Schloss Dorfheim, Saalfelden

Schloss Dorfheim is located on the western edge of Saalfelden on the road to Leogang. The building only still has the character of a castle on the outside with a high hipped roof and the two remaining corner towers facing south.

The origin of Dorfheim Castle lies in the dark. The manor house was first mentioned in documents in 1331 in connection with the Vogtturm in Zell am See. At the same time, the Hunt family, bastards of the Counts of Plain, was already mentioned, who subsequently - at least since 1369 - made this Dorfheim castle their seat of power.

Towards the end of the 14th century, the Hunt began to refer to themselves with the noble predicate of Dorf. Hans Hunt, zu Dorf was keeper of Lichtenberg. In 1399 his son - also Hans Hunt zu Dorf - succeeded him as keeper of Lichtenberg, having previously been judge of Lofer. In 1449 the castle passed to Wolfgang Hunt, who became keeper of Mittersill in 1469. The most important member of this dynasty was probably Wiguleus Hund von Sulzemoos und Lauterbach. In 1582 he published the first printed history of Salzburg in Latin under the title: Metropolis Salzburgensis.

In 1601 Josef Hunt thoroughly rebuilt the castle. He remained without male descendants, which is why Schloss Dorfheim passed to his daughter Maria Jakobe Hunt. Her husband, Johann Albert von Savioli from Rovereto, bought the castle in 1628.

The Savioli family became impoverished and so in 1660 a family Stadlmayr from Feldkirchen in Carinthia bought both Schloss Dorfheim and Schloss Rettenwörth. In 1719 a niece of the last Stadlmayr inherited Dorfheim. She was married to Friedrich Ignaz Lürzer von Zechenthal. The Lürzers remained owners of the estate with kitchen garden, orchard and two fish ponds until 1860. During this time, from 1811 to 1815, Dorfheim was the seat of the district court. From 1843 it also housed the k.k. Kreisbauamt was housed.

Around 1902, the k.k. Agricultural Society of the Duchy of Salzburg acquired the castle. An agricultural school was to be established, but the project could not be carried out because the building burned down almost completely in 1901. In 1912, the farmer and "castle builder" Martin Hartl acquired the ruins and began reconstruction. Schloss Dorfheim became a farm with tenants and leaseholders.