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Festung Königstein (Königstein Fortress) is a unique monument to the art of European fortress construction. Its 750 years' history have made it an impressive configuration of late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century architecture.
The medieval castle
1233
probably the oldest written mention of a castle on Königstein mountain; a “Burgrave Gebhard vom Stein” is mentioned in a document of King Wenzel I from Bohemia; the medieval castle belonged to the Bohemian kingdom
)
1241
the first mention of the Königstein in a document; King Wenceslas I of Bohemia affixes his seal to the Upper Lausitz Border Decree "in lapide regis" ("on the stone of the King", Königstein is the German for Kings stone); a medieval castle exists on the rocky plateau; it is the property of the Bohemian kingdom.
1406/08
the castle falls into the hands of the Wettin noble family in a feud (the Wettins are the rulers of Saxony)
1459
the Eger contract gives a legal basis for this state of affairs
The monastery
)
1516
twelve Coelestin monks and one prior occupy the Monastery for the Praise of Marys Miracles established by Duke George the Bearded on Königstein; dissolved in 1524
)
1563
by order the elector August, the deepest well in Saxony is sunk (152.5 m) under supervision of the master miner Martin Planer from Freiberg; the independent water source is an important condition for the fortress construction
The conversion to a fortress
)
1589
the Elector Christian I orders the conversion of the castle to a country fortress; the gate house, the raking defences, the old barracks, Christians (later: Fredericks) Castle and the old armoury are built by 1594; from that time on, the fortress defences have continually been modernised to keep up with the times; no enemy has ever attempted to attack the fortress
- due to its impregnable nature, Saxons rulers often fled behind its thick walls in troubled times, taking their works of art and the state treasure with them; its enchanting countryside location made it a favourite destination for excursions by members of the Saxon court and the setting for many a feast or banquet
The state prison
)
1591
the first state prisoner is brought to the Königstein in this year, Chancellor Dr. Nikolaus Krell
)
further famous prisoners include:
1706-1707 Johann Friedrich Böttger, the co-inventor of European porcelain
1849 the Russian revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin
and 1874 the social democrat August Bebel
It is the most feared prison of the state of Saxony until 1922.
The era of august the strong
1698
first visit from Tsar Peter I
1712
second visit of the Russian tsar
)
1725
Königsteins largest wine cask was made by order of Saxonys ruler August the Strong; it held 238,000 litres and stood in the Magdalenenburg (Magdalenes Castle) cellar until 1818; with this feat, he defeated the Palatinate elector in the bet to see who could build the biggest wine cask (his competitors effort can still be seen in Heidelberg Castle today)
1728
the visit of the "Soldier King" Frederick William I of Prussia and his son, Crown Prince Frederick (later King Frederick II)
)
1756
capture of the Saxon army on the plain at Lilienstein at the start of the Seven Year War (1756-63); the Elector and his court retreated to the safety of Königstein; the fortress is declared neutral
Napoleon
1806
Saxony becomes a kingdom, standing in the favour of Napoleon, and Königstein Fortress becomes a Fortress of the Confederation of the Rhine
1813
Napoleon inspects Königstein Fortress
1815
Saxony loses a large proportion of its territory in the Vienna Congress; Königstein is Saxonys only remaining country fortress
The 19th an 20th centuries
)
1848
the only time the fortress was "stormed", by the chimney-sweep Sebastian Abratzky
1849
the May uprising in Dresden sees the Königstein serve once more as a refuge for the Saxon royal family; after the suppression of the uprising, the revolutionaries are taken here as prisoners
1866
after the Prussian-Austrian War in which Saxony was on the losing side, a Prussian commandant and Prussian soldiers occupy Königstein Fortress
1870
during the German-French War the fortress is first used as a prisoner of war camp
1871
after the German Reich, or empire, is established, Königstein is the only Saxon element in the Germany-wide system of fortresses and is given a Saxon garrison once again
1913
The post of commandant is struck from the military budget and Königstein no longer plays the role of a true fortress
)
1914
camp for captured Russian and French officers and soldiers
1921
converted into a spa hospital for recovering soldiers
)
1939
prisoner of war camp, initially for Polish prisoners, later for French officers and generals
1942
the French general Henri Giraud succeeds in fleeing from the officers camp
1945
in 1945 the garrison hands over the command of the fortress to the French prisoners of war; later the prisoner of war camp is evacuated by special American forces and the fortress is occupied by the Red Army who establish a military hospital on Königstein
1949
the fortress was used as a youth reform camp; young people who were politically suspect or had, in the post-war confusion, committed criminal acts, were educated and trained here
The museum
)
1955
the 9.5 hectare fortress complex is opened to the public as a military and historical open air museum
1991
the Königstein Fortress became the property of the Free State of Saxony
2000
The fortress became a private limited operating company and, since 2003, a gGmbH