Falkenstein Castle

The Falkenstein is situated near Pfronten in the Allgäu, close to the border between Bavaria and Tyrol. On the rock, at an altitude of 1,268 metres, stands a ruined castle, which is considered to be the highest castle complex in Germany. The castle was abandoned and burnt down in 1646, towards the end of the Thirty Years’ War.

The Falkenstein remained unused for over 200 years until King Ludwig II of Bavaria acquired the ruin. According to his ideas, a fairytale castle in the style of Neuschwanstein was to be built there. The first design came from Christian Jank, a theatre painter who had also designed Neuschwanstein Castle. However, it could not be realised. Due to the king’s financial problems, Georg von Dollmann, the director of construction at the royal court, produced a much smaller design in the Gothic style. This project, however, was too modest for the king, which is why he dismissed the architect without notice.

In 1885 a third design by the senior building officer Max Schultze and the building authority director Julius Hofmann came closest to Ludwig’s ideas and could have been realised in this way. However, it would have brought the king into further financial and political difficulties. In 1886, King Ludwig II drowned in Lake Starnberg. A castle path and a water pipe had already been constructed at that time, but after his death construction work was stopped. Thus the fairytale Falkenstein Castle remained a dream.

This model depicts the castle as it would probably have looked after completion. Individual construction drawings and an oil painting of the planned royal bedroom at Falkenstein Palace can be seen today in the museum of Herrenchiemsee Palace.