Already in 1875 Albert Rothschild, a previous landowner, safeguarded extensively natural forests of the area from clearing and damage.

120 years later, the State of Lower Austria in cooperation with landowners, the Forestry Commission of Langau and the Austrian Federal Forests Ltd. succeeded in the long-term preservation of an area of 2.400 ha of natural forests and natural landscape features. From 1997 through 2001, funding by the European Union and the former Austrian Ministry for Youth, Family and Environment paved the way for initiating – in the scope of a LIFE-Project – "Wilderness Dürrenstein".

Since 2002, the total area of "Wilderness Dürrenstein" is protected by law, having been declared a "nature reserve". As a basis for work, the administration of "Wilderness Dürrenstein" (having started to work in 2002) has outlined a management plan in cooperation with the Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management (BOKU, Vienna).

"Wilderness Dürrenstein" aims at protecting endangered organisms, communities and ecosystems; no specific situation is to be preserved, but conditions that aid natural processes without human intervention.

In 2003, "Wilderness Dürrenstein" has been recognized as the first Austrian "Area of the Wild", Category I, according to criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature/IUCN.