Burgau

Burgau is a municipality in the district of Hartberg-Fürstenfeld in Styria, Austria. It is in the south-east of the country, near the border with Hungary.

The castle was originally surrounded by a water trench which gave the name to the village "Burg in der Au" .
The fortification was of great strategic importance against ongoing Turkish and Hungarian invasions from the East across the nearby Lafnitz river. The castle was first mentioned in 1367 as a property of the lords of Puchheim. Then the municipality and the castle were given as a feoff to the house of Neitberg before being handed over to Weikhard von Polheim. Thanks to newly built fortifications commanded by Erhard von Polheim, the invading Turks could be defied in the years 1529 and 1532. In the end, the indebted property of Burgau was given to Mathias von Trauttmannsdorff, who oppressed the local population with high socage fees. In 1704, Eastern Styria was heavily devastated by attacking Kuruz, Hungarians rebelling against the Habsburgs. The mayor saved the village by offering weapons and money to the invaders.

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