From the tread crane
to the Panorama lift

Exhibition in the Crane Casemate

Opening hours: April – October: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. | November - March : 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Location: Crane casemate

Accessibility: not recommended for wheelchair users (historic sandstone pavement with gradient)

Photography: allowed for private use without flash | photo permission required for commercial use

About the history of lifting technology

The exhibition shows the development of the technology of transporting loads and people from the time of the fortress construction at the end of the 16th century to the present.

More than 400 years ago, there were already some wooden treading cranes, so-called cranes, on the cliff edge. They lifted heavy loads onto the plateau. After the end of construction work, only the pedal crane standing on the crane plateau remained. Its treadwheel was later moved to the casemate below.

In 1882, an external lift replaced the treadle crane. It was driven by a steam engine, which was replaced by an electric motor in 1912.

In 1967 the construction of a new lift began . An 18-metre-long entrance tunnel was built, onto which a 32-metre-deep shaft was sunk from the top. In 1970, this combined freight and passenger lift went into operation.

The Panorama lift

A second elevator was built in 2005 where the last outdoor elevator stood.

The construction consists of two 47 m high steel pylons, which were attached to the rock wall with compression and tie rods and on which the ropes are guided. The rock and wall behind it remained visible.

In the old crane casemate, the old drive technology was refurbished and can be seen as an exhibit.

Festung Königstein gGmbH
01824 Königstein

Phone: +49 (0)35021 64 607
info@festung-koenigstein.de

Opening hours

April - October 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
November - March 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Last admission 1 hour before closing time