The
castle was first mentioned in 1170 as "novum castrum." It was part of the domain of the count of Güssing. Neuhaus
is one of the oldest fortifications in the area of the Austro-Hungarian border and probably was the Hungarian
counterpart to the Styrian castle of Kapfenstein. Its military task was to protect the territory between the
Rivers Raab and Mur. In particular, it blocked the access to the area through the Klausenbach valley. Around 1200,
the brothers Paul, Nikolaus and Stephan, followers of the counts of Güssing, stayed here. A little later, Neuhaus
became part of St. Gotthard abbey, but before 1213 it was reclaimed by Andreas, count of Güssing. Shortly after
that, the Hungarian king obtained the castle and Béla IV had it expanded and reinforced. In 1220 Paul von Neuhaus
was a provincial supreme judge. Besides, he was a comrade in arms of Heinrich I of Güssing. In 1271, the garrison
had to hand over the fortress to the Bohemian king Przemysl Ottokar I. Afterwards, it became Hungarian again. As
it was with most of the castles in the Austro-Hungarian borderland, the lords of the castles sometimes allied with
the Hungarians and sometimes with the Austrians. And thus, in 1459, the Széchys participated in the election of
Friedrich III as king of Hungary in the castle of Güssing.
This advocacy, however, led to the conquest
and destruction of the castle by the lord of Schlaining, Andreas Baumkirchner, during his feud against Friedrich
III in 1467. After reconstruction, Neuhaus was inherited through marriage by Count Salm and by his son-in-law
Popel Lobkowicz. In 1607 Lobkowicz's daughter Eva married Franz Batthyány, whereby the dominion came into
possession of his family. From 1640 onwards, the castle was inhabited only by manorial officials. Towards the end
of the 17th century 26 villages, which partly lay in the present-day Hungary and Slovenia, belonged to the
dominion. Neuhaus was also the seat of an extensive district court. Because of its size, it was divided into seven
lower courts. The topographic name "Galgenkreuz" (gallows cross) still reminds us today of the former execution
site where, in 1834, the last execution took place. At the beginning of the 18th century also, the employees moved
into the near castle and town of Tabor and abandoned the castle of Neuhaus to its fate. It was often fiercely
contested, but its decay is not due to acts of war, but to the roof tax of Emperor Joseph II. Its roofs were
removed to avoid taxation of the then useless building. Later it was used by local people as a quarry. Today the
town of Neuhaus am Klausenbach is the owner of the ruin.
Neuhaus am Klausenbach is the southernmost
municipality in Burgenland. The castle, which is called Vasdobra or Dobra by the Hungarians, is located north of
the market on a former volcanic cone. Only a few parts of walls have remained and been restored to a viewpoint a
couple of years ago. Its footprint has the shape of an irregular pentagon. The exterior walls are approximately
2.5 meters thick. Building material was volcanic tuff. Larger pieces of wall have been preserved mainly on the
southwest side. They show pointed arch openings. Even the remains of the square Romanesque keep are still visible.
The remaining parts of the wall have been restored as far as the rounded edge of the wall of the former cistern in
the courtyard. This is said to be 40 m. deep and lined with ashlars. Such depth, however, would rather apply to a
well than to a cistern. In the south a terrace, which was probably covered with the buildings of the outer bailey,
adjoins the stronghold. Remains of the ditch and other fortifications can still be seen in the neighboring forest.
The
castle was first mentioned in 1170 as "novum castrum." It was part of the domain of the count of Güssing. Neuhaus
is one of the oldest fortifications in the area of the Austro-Hungarian border and probably was the Hungarian
counterpart to the Styrian castle of Kapfenstein. Its military task was to protect the territory between the
Rivers Raab and Mur. In particular, it blocked the access to the area through the Klausenbach valley. Around 1200,
the brothers Paul, Nikolaus and Stephan, followers of the counts of Güssing, stayed here. A little later, Neuhaus
became part of St. Gotthard abbey, but before 1213 it was reclaimed by Andreas, count of Güssing. Shortly after
that, the Hungarian king obtained the castle and Béla IV had it expanded and reinforced. In 1220 Paul von Neuhaus
was a provincial supreme judge. Besides, he was a comrade in arms of Heinrich I of Güssing. In 1271, the garrison
had to hand over the fortress to the Bohemian king Przemysl Ottokar I. Afterwards, it became Hungarian again. As
it was with most of the castles in the Austro-Hungarian borderland, the lords of the castles sometimes allied with
the Hungarians and sometimes with the Austrians. And thus, in 1459, the Széchys participated in the election of
Friedrich III as king of Hungary in the castle of Güssing.
This advocacy, however, led to the conquest
and destruction of the castle by the lord of Schlaining, Andreas Baumkirchner, during his feud against Friedrich
III in 1467. After reconstruction, Neuhaus was inherited through marriage by Count Salm and by his son-in-law
Popel Lobkowicz. In 1607 Lobkowicz's daughter Eva married Franz Batthyány, whereby the dominion came into
possession of his family. From 1640 onwards, the castle was inhabited only by manorial officials. Towards the end
of the 17th century 26 villages, which partly lay in the present-day Hungary and Slovenia, belonged to the
dominion. Neuhaus was also the seat of an extensive district court. Because of its size, it was divided into seven
lower courts. The topographic name "Galgenkreuz" (gallows cross) still reminds us today of the former execution
site where, in 1834, the last execution took place. At the beginning of the 18th century also, the employees moved
into the near castle and town of Tabor and abandoned the castle of Neuhaus to its fate. It was often fiercely
contested, but its decay is not due to acts of war, but to the roof tax of Emperor Joseph II. Its roofs were
removed to avoid taxation of the then useless building. Later it was used by local people as a quarry. Today the
town of Neuhaus am Klausenbach is the owner of the ruin.
Neuhaus am Klausenbach is the southernmost
municipality in Burgenland. The castle, which is called Vasdobra or Dobra by the Hungarians, is located north of
the market on a former volcanic cone. Only a few parts of walls have remained and been restored to a viewpoint a
couple of years ago. Its footprint has the shape of an irregular pentagon. The exterior walls are approximately
2.5 meters thick. Building material was volcanic tuff. Larger pieces of wall have been preserved mainly on the
southwest side. They show pointed arch openings. Even the remains of the square Romanesque keep are still visible.
The remaining parts of the wall have been restored as far as the rounded edge of the wall of the former cistern in
the courtyard. This is said to be 40 m. deep and lined with ashlars. Such depth, however, would rather apply to a
well than to a cistern. In the south a terrace, which was probably covered with the buildings of the outer bailey,
adjoins the stronghold. Remains of the ditch and other fortifications can still be seen in the neighboring forest.