The Neo-Renaissance castle and brewery of Au

Schloss Au stands as a rectangular castle in the village of Au in the Hallertau, defined by its corner towers. The castle site contains underground medieval and early modern archaeological remains, recorded as underground finds in the area of the castle and its predecessor buildings, including a baroque garden layout.

Tracing its lineage back to the year 1000, the estate has weathered centuries of shifting power and fire. The Counts of Moosburg first held the title, a tenure that ended in 1281. From there, the keys passed through a succession of noble families, including the von Stein, von Abensberg, and von Thurn. The old castle burned to the ground between 1503 and 1505 during the Landshut War of Succession.

Between 1544 and 1578, the structure rose again in its present dimensions, establishing the architectural bones of the home we see today. The Beck von Peccoz family took ownership in 1846 and began a period of aesthetic refinement. They commissioned the Munich architect Schoch to redesign the castle in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1880. This era brought a new layout to the grounds, as the castle garden was developed during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Inside the walls, the chapel of St. Karl Bartholomäus was built in 1690 and later remodeled in 1868. The building remains a protected monument, a designated piece of cultural heritage for the village of Au. Since 1846, the Beck von Peccoz family have owned and lived in the castle, maintaining the site as a residence and a place of heritage.

Parallel to the evolution of the palace, the brewery has its own history. Records from 1590 mention a brewery master named Schweiger in the town of Au. When the Beck von Peccoz family acquired the castle in 1846, they also took ownership of the brewery. The brewery is known regionally for its heavily hopped beers.

Today, the estate continues to function as a living home and a working production site. While the Beck von Peccoz family still resides within the walls, the FCAA Castle Brewery Company, part of the Chinese Dashang Group, has held a stake in the brewery since 2019.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons