Due to the fact that in the 20 th century the ruin was so well known as it was aside a well known walking lane around 1950 first attempts have been made to preserve the most dangerous parts with a castle preservation society. Hans Rohrer was the most active person in the first period, who published an article about the ruin Ehrenfels in the Mitteilungen des Steirischen Burgenverein ( Information of Styrian Castle Preservation Society), paper 11, in 1962. In 1952 the first new measure plans were issued. In fact no practical restauration work was carried out at that time

In the sixties a local company owner, Peter Schuster, bought the area from the farmer, who possessed the estate. He became quite soon member of the board of directors of the Steirische Burgenverein and there were rumors that he intended to establish there a special restaurant, minimum coffee house?
When the area was bought from the Machalka family in 1983, who were already long before members of the Steirische Burgenverein and who knew already about the advantages of local castle preservation societies, they soon raised with all the interested visitors and friends the question about such the possibility to found a preservation society. In 1988 they created already a society of friends of the Ehrenfels ruin and in 1991 the Ehrenfels Castle Preservation Society was founded. The society acts as a local society for the Steirische Burgenverein and members of the Ehrenfels society are members of the board of directors of the Steirische Burgenverein too.

The society consists of 2 sections:

Section 1 Castle preservation takes care to preserve the historic object. The society members carry out practical work to protect the historic walls. They prepare public event on a non regular basis. 1993 the first castle guidebook was issued. The section has at the moment about 35 members. The members do not pay a membership fee but minimum work one day a year without any charge. In the last years lot of work was carried out at all weekends in the warmer period.

Section 2 Living History takes care to understand all the historic thinking, technique and also the historic arms, food, cloth, music, dances and others. First focus was laid to understand how superstition was used to explain physical actions on the example of hail generation and prevention. Here the hail prevention by hail shooting with black powder was studied. Papers were issued to this theme. 1996 and 1998 international blank shooting meetings were held at Ehrenfels. These days there are investigations if people can hear a “beautiful” bang?
Some articles to the handled themes have been published already.

The section wants also to establish historically dressed castle inhabitans, who will be able to act in several historic periods and reenact known stories about castle Ehrenfels within the several centuries and participate in events at places with historical connections.

In 2006 a cooperation with a knights society from Graz named “Bluot zi Bluoda “ (www.bluot.at) was started and commonly events were held and visited. Pictures from some events see under chapter ”pictures”.

For both sections new members are always welcomed. Please contact the given address!