Loosdorf

The first-known mention of Loosdorf, then referred to as "Ladestorf," dates to 1145. Even from this period, the town had a strong connection to the nearby Schallaburg Castle. Documents from the reign of King Ottokar prove that saffron played a major role in Loosdorf's economy from an early stage. The town experienced a major period of prosperity in the 16th century, under the reign of Hans Wilhem of Losenstein, who expanded the Schallaburg, rebuilt the town church, which had been destroyed by Turkish soldiers in 1588 and, opened a Protestant school in Loosdorf, called 'die Hohe Schule' ('the High School'). During this period, Loosdorf also achieved the right to organize a market (1584) and a weekly market (1588), solidifying its status as a market town (Marktgemeinde), which it bears to this day. Under Hans Wilhelm von Losenstein, Loosdorf became a hub of Protestantism in Austria. The Hohe Schule started as a private school, especially for the children of the Lutheran nobility. The statutes of the Lutheran German gymnasium of Loosdorf were printed in Augsburg in 1574. Two original copies still exist.