Breitenfurt was founded relatively late and first appears in historical records in 1622 as an inhabited place. Until then, the name "Breitenfurt" was used only to designate a rural area. Until the Turkish invasion in 1683, a royal hunting lodge was located there, and the ruins of that lodge appear on the coat of arms of the municipality. After the Turkish occupation, there were 20 houses still standing in Breitenfurt. The area was soon settled with people from Salzburg, Bavaria, and Steiermark. The inhabitants were mostly woodworkers. In 1721, there were already 42 houses in town and 32 houses in outlying areas of the municipality. From 1714 to 1732, Gregor Wilhelm von Kirchner, a banking magnate, built a baroque palace in the area, but it was torn down by 1796. The present parish church was originally the chapel of this palace.