Königstein Fortress (), the "
Saxon
The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
Bastille
The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stormed by a ...
", is a hilltop
fortress
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
near
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
, in
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland (, ) is a hilly climbing area and national park in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is located around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany, adjoining Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. Toge ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, above the town of
Königstein on the left bank of the
River Elbe
The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
. It is one of the largest hilltop
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s in Europe and sits atop the
table hill of the same name.
The rock
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
rises above the Elbe and has over 50 buildings, some over 400 years old, that bear witness to the military and civilian life in the fortress. The rampart run of the fortress is long with walls up to high and steep
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
faces. In the centre of the site is a well, which is the deepest in Saxony and second-deepest well in Europe.
The fortress, which for centuries was used as a state
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
, is still intact and is now one of
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
's foremost
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...
attractions, with 700,000 visitors per year.
Construction and expansion of the fortress
By far the oldest written record of a castle on the Königstein is found in a deed by King
Wenceslas I of Bohemia dating to the year 1233, in which a witness is named as "Burgrave Gebhard of Stein". At that time the region was split between the
Kingdom of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
and the
Bishopric of Meissen. The medieval castle belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. Its first full description as ''Königstein'' ("King's Rock") occurred in the Upper Lusatian Border Charter (''Oberlausitzer Grenzurkunde'') of 1241, that Wenceslas I ''"in lapide regis"'' (Lat.: at the rock of the king) sealed. In this charter the demarcation of the border between the Slavic ''
Gauen'' of Milska (
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia (, ; , ; ; or ''Milsko''; ) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the north, it makes up the region of Lusatia, named after the Polabian Slavs, Slavic ''Lusici'' tribe. Both parts of Lusatia a ...
), Nisani (Meißen Depression) and Dacena (Tetschen region) was laid down. Because the Königstein lay left of the Elbe, it was independent of the 3 aforementioned ''Gauen''.
It belonged at that time to the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...
and was expanded by order of the Bohemian kings, as the Elbe became more intensively used as a trade route, into a fortified site that dominated the north of their territories, controlling the Elbe above Pirna, and an outpost of strategically important
Dohna Castle located in the nearby
Müglitz.
After the king and later emperor,
Charles IV had Eulau Castle, which dominated the southern region, destroyed in 1348 by townsfolk from
Aussig, he spent from 5 to 19 August 1359 on the Königstein and signed the authority for shipping rights. The castle was pledged several times in the 50 years that followed, including to the
Donins. Because this family were enemies of the margraves of Meißen, the latter finally captured the castle in 1408 during the
Dohna Feud
The Dohna Feud () was a 14th-century dispute between the Burgraves of Dohna, who resided in the Eastern Ore Mountains of Central Europe, on the one hand and Saxon nobleman, John of Körbitz (''Hans von Körbitz'') and the Meißen Margrave Will ...
that had been raging since 1385. But not until 25 April 1459 was the transfer of the castle to the
Margraviate of Meißen finally completed once the Saxon-Bohemian border had been settled in the
Treaty of Eger
The Treaty of Eger (), also called Main Compromise of Eger (''Hauptvergleich von Eger'') or Peace of Eger () was concluded on 25 April 1459 in the Imperial City of Eger (''Cheb''), administrative seat of the immediate pawn of Egerland (''Reich ...
. Unlike the other rock castles in Saxon Switzerland the Königstein continued to be used by the Saxon dukes and prince-electors for
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
purposes. At one stage the Königstein was also a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
. In 1516, Duke
George the Bearded, a fierce opponent of
the Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
, founded a
Celestine abbey on the Königstein, the ''Kloster des Lobes der Wunder Mariae''. It closed again in 1524 - after the death of Duke George, Saxony became
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
.

It is probable that there had been a stone castle on the Königstein as early as the 12th century. The oldest surviving structure today is the castle chapel built at the turn of the 13th century. In the years 1563 to 1569 the 152.5 metre deep well was bored into the rock within the castle - until that point the garrison of the Königstein had to obtain water from cisterns and by collecting rainwater. During the construction of the well some 8 cubic metres of water had to be removed from the shaft every day.
Between 1589 and 1591/97
Prince-Elector
The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops.
From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...
Christian I of Saxony and his successor had the castle developed into the strongest
fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
in Saxony. The hitherto very jagged table hill was now surrounded with high walls. Buildings were erected, including the Gatehouse (''Torhaus''), the ''Streichwehr'', the Old Barracks (''Alte Kaserne''), the ''Christiansburg'' (''Friedrichsburg'') and the Old Armoury (''Altes Zeughaus''). The second construction period followed from 1619 to 1681, during which ''inter alia'' the John George Bastion (''Johann-Georgenbastion'') was built in front of the ''Johann-Georgenburg''. The third construction period is seen as the time from 1694 to 1756, which included the expansion of the Old Barracks. From 1722 to 1725, at the behest of
August the Strong
Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...
, coopers under Böttger built the enormous Königstein Wine Barrel (''Königsteiner Weinfass''), the greatest wine barrel in the world, in the cellar of the Magdalenenburg which had a capacity of 249,838 litres. It cost 8,230 thalers, 18 groschen and 9 pfennigs. The butt, which was once completely filled with country wine from the Meißen vineyards, had to be removed again in 1818 due to its poor condition. Because of Böttger, Königstein Fortress is also the site where European porcelain started.
Even after the expansion during those periods of time there continued to be modifications and additions on the extensive plateau. St. John's Hall (''Johannissaal'') built in 1631 was converted in 1816 into the New Armoury (''Neues Zeughaus''). In 1819 the ''Magdalenenburg'' castle was turned into a provisions magazine that was fortified to withstand bombardment. The old provisions store became a barracks. The Treasury (''Schatzhaus'') was built from 1854 to 1855. After the fortress had been incorporated in 1871 into the fortification system of the new
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
, battery ramparts (''Batteriewälle'') were constructed from 1870 to 1895 with eight firing points, that were to have provided all-round defence for the fortress in case of an attack that, in the event, never came. This was at this time that the last major building work was done on the fortress.
Because Königstein Fortress was regarded as unconquerable, the Saxon monarchs retreated to it from
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...
and later
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
during times of crisis and also deposited the state treasure and many works of art from the famous
Zwinger
A () is an open kill zone area between two defensive walls that is used for defensive purposes. s were built in the medieval and early modern periods to improve the defence of castles and town walls. The term is usually left untranslated, ...
here; it was also used as a country retreat due to its lovely surroundings.
Military significance

The fortress played an important role in the
History of Saxony
The history of Saxony began with a small tribe living on the North Sea between the Elbe and Eider River in what is now Holstein. The name of this tribe, the Saxons (Latin: ''Saxones''), was first mentioned by the Greek author Ptolemy. The name ' ...
, albeit less as a result of military action. The Saxon Dukes and Prince-Electors used the fortress primarily as a secure refuge during times of war, as a
hunting lodge and
maison de plaisance
In Renaissance architecture, Renaissance and Early Modern German architecture, a ''Lustschloss'' (, both meaning "pleasure palace") is a country house, château, or palace which served the private pleasure of its owner, and was seasonally inh ...
, but also as a dreaded state prison. Its actual military significance was rather marginal, although generals such as
John Everard of Droste and Zützen (1662–1726) commanded it. For example, Prince-Elector
Frederick Augustus II could only watch helplessly from the Königstein during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, when right at the start of the war in 1756
his army surrendered without a fight to the
Prussian Army at the foot of the
Lilienstein on the other side of the Elbe. The commandant of the fortress from 1753 was the electoral Saxon Lieutenant General,
Michael Lorenz von Pirch. In August 1813 the clash at
Krietzschwitz took place in front of its gates, an engagement that proved an important precursor to the
Battle of Kulm
The Battle of Kulm was fought near the town Kulm () and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A French corps under General Dominique Vandamme attacked Ale ...
and the
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...
.
In October 1866 Alexander von Rohrscheidt (1808–1881) was nominated as commandant of the fortress. It lost its military value with the development of long-range guns at the beginning of the 19th century. The last commandant of Königstein Fortress was Lieutenant Colonel Heinicke who commanded it until 1913. The fortress had to guard the Saxon state reserves and secret archives during times of war. In 1756 and 1813
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
's art treasures were also stored at the Königstein. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the large
casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
s of the fortress were also used for such purposes.
The fortress was never conquered, it had too much of a chilling reputation after it had been expanded by Elector Christian I. Only the
chimney sweep
A chimney sweep is a person who inspects then clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combust ...
, , managed to climb the vertical sandstone walls in 1848. The Abratzky Chimney (''Abratzky-Kamin'') named after him is a grade IV (based on the
Saxon system) climbing route that may still be climbed today. Because climbing over the wall is banned, climbers must abseil down the adjacent wall again after climbing it.
Use as a prison
Until 1922 the fortress was the best-known state prison in Saxony. During the
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
and the two
world war
A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...
s the fortress was also used as a
prisoner of war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, ...
. In
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the castle was used as a
prisoner of war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, ...
(''
Oflag
An Oflag (from ) was a type of prisoner of war camp for Officer (armed forces), officers which the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army established in World War I in accordance with the requirements of the Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907), 1899 ...
'') for French and Russian
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
s. In
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it again served as an ''Oflag'', called ''
Oflag IV-B'', for British, French, Polish and other Allied officers.
After the Second World War the Red Army used the fortress as a military hospital. From 1949 to 1955 it was used as a so-called ''Jugendwerkhof'' for the
reeducation of delinquent youths and those who did not fit the image of a socialist society.
Some of the more notable prisoners incarcerated at Königstein are given below (dates of imprisonment in parentheses):
*the
Crypto-Calvinists, including
Caspar Peucer
Caspar Peucer ( , ; January 6, 1525 – September 25, 1602) was a German reformer, physician, and scholar of Sorbian origin.
Personal life
Early life
Caspar Peucer was born on January 6, 1525, in Bautzen, (Sachsen, Germany) and died on Se ...
(1574–86) and
Nikolaus Krell (1591–1601), chancellor of the
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony ( or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356 to 1806 initially centred on Wittenberg that came to include areas around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. It was a ...
* Count
Wolf Dietrich von Beichlingen (1703–1709), great chancellor and senior court-marshal of the Electorate of Saxony
*
Franz Conrad Romanus (1705–1746), ''
Bürgermeister'' of
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
*
Johann Friedrich Böttger (1706–1707), co-discoverer with
Tschirnhaus of European porcelain
*
Johann Reinhold von Patkul (1706–1707),
Livonia
Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.
By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...
n statesman
* Count
Karl Heinrich von Hoym (1734–1736), cabinet minister of the Electorate of Saxony; committed suicide in his cell
*
Mikhail Bakunin
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin. Sometimes anglicized to Michael Bakunin. ( ; – 1 July 1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist. He is among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major figure in the revolutionary socialist, s ...
(1849–1850),
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
and revolutionary
*
August Bebel
Ferdinand August Bebel (; 22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist activist and politician. He was one of the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Bebel, a woodworker by trade, co-founded the Sa ...
(1872–1874), German politician, president of the
SPD, founder of German
social democracy
Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
*
Thomas Theodor Heine
Thomas Theodor Heine (28 February 1867 – 26 January 1948) was a German painter, illustrator and cartoonist. Born in Leipzig, Heine established himself as a gifted caricaturist at an early age, which led to him studying art at the Kunstakademie ...
(1899), caricaturist and artist
*
Frank Wedekind
Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the developme ...
(1899–1900), writer and dramatist
*
Henri Giraud
Henri Honoré Giraud (; 18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French military officer who was a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944.
Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud ...
(1940–1942), French general; successfully escaped from the castle
*
Bertrand Fagalde (1940-1945), French general; captured just after the
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk () was fought around the French Third Republic, French port of Dunkirk, Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies of World War II, Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle ...
Königstein was never taken, not even during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. However, on 17 April 1942, French General
Henri Giraud
Henri Honoré Giraud (; 18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French military officer who was a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944.
Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud ...
successfully escaped German captivity from the castle.
Military history open-air museum

Since 29 May 1955, the fortress has been an open-air, military history museum of popular with tourists. The museum has been managed as a satellite of the
Bundeswehr Military History Museum
The Bundeswehr Military History Museum () is the military museum of the German Armed Forces, the ''Bundeswehr'', and one of the major military history museums in Germany. It is located in a former military arsenal in the Albertstadt which is par ...
in Dresden since 1990.
In the years 1967 to 1970, a lift was built at the foot of the access path for 42 people. A second lift was built in 2005 against a vertical wall of the fortress, which transports up to 18 passengers in a lift with a panoramic view to a height of about 42 metres. The state of Saxony made 1.7 million euros available for the project. The lift opened Easter 2006.
Between 1991 and 2010, a total of about 46 million euros was invested by the Free State of Saxony on the renovation and upgrade of Königstein Fortress. The museum welcomed its 25 millionth visitor on 14 October 2005 since it opened Whitsun 1955.
Visitor numbers decreased somewhat from about 1,000,000 in 1999 to 446,000 in 2010.
[''Immer weniger Besucher in Festung Königstein'', Freie Presse dated 10 February 2011]
The fortress in art
Around 1756, Elector Augustus III commissioned the Italian artist
Bernardo Bellotto
Bernardo Bellotto (c. 1721/2 or 30 January 172117 November 1780), was an Italians, Italian urban Landscape art, landscape Painting, painter or ''vedutista'', and printmaker in etching famous for his Veduta, ''vedute'' of European cities – Dr ...
to paint a series of five large-scale views of the fortress at Königstein. The canvasses were never delivered to the Elector due to the hostilities of the Seven Years' War and were eventually exported to
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. Today, four of the Königstein paintings are held in public collections in Britain: ''The Fortress of Königstein from the North'' is in the
National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...
; ''The Fortress of Königstein from the South'' is at
Knowsley Hall
Knowsley Hall is a stately home near Liverpool in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. It is the ancestral home of the Stanley family, the Earls of Derby. The hall is surrounded by of parkland, which contains the Knowsley S ...
, Merseyside; and both ''The Fortress of Königstein: Courtyard with the Brunnenhaus'' and ''The Fortress of Königstein: Courtyard with the Magdalenenburg'', hang in the
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery, formerly Manchester City Art Gallery, is a publicly owned art museum on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre, England. The main gallery premises were built for a learned society in 1823 and today its collection occupi ...
. The fifth canvas, ''The Fortress of Königstein from the North-West'', is now in the United States, on display in the
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...
in
Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
In Anthony Trollope's novel ''
Phineas Redux
''Phineas Redux'' is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published between 1873 and 1874 as a serial in '' The Graphic''. It is the fourth of the " Palliser" series of novels and is a sequel to the second book of the series, '' Phineas Finn''.
...
'', it is during an excursion to Königstein, "the fortress constructed on that wonderful rock," that the hero, Phineas Finn, learns from his first love, who had refused his offer of marriage, that she had in fact always loved him, and continues to.
Gallery
File:Festung Koenigstein.jpg, View from the river Elbe to the fortress
File:The Fortress of Königstein from the North by Bernardo Bellotto.jpg, Bellotto's ''Fortress of Königstein from the North by Bernardo'' (National Gallery, London)
File:Bernardo Bellotto Courtyard of the Castle At Königstein from the South.jpg, Bellotto's ''Courtyard of the Castle At Königstein from the South'' (Manchester Art Gallery)
File:Bernardo Bellotto, il Canaletto - Festung Königstein (National Gallery of Art).jpg, Bellotto's, The Fortress of Königstein from the North-West (National Gallery of Art, Washington)
References
External links
Königstein Fortress(multilingual site)
(Grimm's Tale that mentions the fortress)
Virtual tour based on 360° panoramas of Festung Königstein
{{DEFAULTSORT:Konigstein Fortress
Castles in Saxon Switzerland
Defunct prisons in Germany
Buildings and structures in Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Königstein, Saxony
Museums in Saxony
Military and war museums in Germany
Tourist attractions in Saxony
Rock castles
Prisoner-of-war camps in Germany