Matthias Hultsch
On the King’s Stone – 800 Years of Life at Königstein Fortress
The permanent exhibition extends on 1,200 square metres at the Gate House and the Strike Defences, high above the fortress entrance on two floors. Discover the history of Königstein hill from the first mentioning in a document in 1241 until the opening of the museum in 1955, told in a descriptive and entertaining way in more than 30 rooms.
Find out how the former border castle of Bohemian kings got into the Wettins' hands through a feud and was converted into a country fortress later.
Walk on the paths of ordinary soldiers and their families. Gain insights into the festivities and banquets of high-class rulers. Discover the less well-known periods of fortress history, as an officer’s prison camp and juvenile detention centre.
All the information is available in German, English, and Czech. The historic milestones are illustrated by more than 330 exhibits, together with additional models, dioramas and installations of figures. More than 30 media stations and an audio guide in nine languages offer additional background information.
Learn more about how the Saxon Elector celebrated courtly festivities and impressed his guests on Königstein. The legendary machine table in the Friedrichsburg played a very special role in this.
The Chancellor of the Electorate of Saxony, Nicolaus Krell, laid the foundations of the Königstein Fortress with Elector Christian I. In 1591 he was imprisoned in the fortress for 10 years. In the exhibition you can find out how this happened and what happened to him.
Napoleon Bonaparte visited the Königstein Fortress in 1813. In the exhibition you can find out, what happened next.
How the only "conqueror" of Königstein Fortress, the 18-year-old chimney sweep Sebastian Abratzky, climbed Königstein through a crevice in 1848 and what happened to him afterward....
Find out how the fortress commander's family lived on the Königstein around 1900.
