PLASSENBURG H N
C 95326 Kulmbach O I
A Tel. +49 (0 )9221 822 0-0 · Fax +4 9 (0 )9221 822 0- 26 T B
A INFORMATION
M Schloss- und Gartenverwaltung Bayreut h- Eremitage M
L Ludwigstraße 21 · 95444 Bayreuth R
U Tel. +49 (0 )921 7596 9- 0 · Fax +49 (0 )921 7596 9-15 O
B N OPENING TIMES I
O April to September: 9am –6pm
October to March: 1 0am–4pm G Plassenburg Castle is closed on 1.1., Shrove Tuesday, 24.12., R 25.12. and 31.12. U Regular guided tours B
N ᵼ Limited access to the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain and the
E Zin nfigurenmuseum · Disabled toilet available S The arcades in the »Schöner Hof« are decorated with reliefs »Schöner Hof« (top l.); Christiansportal on the High Bastion (r.); Castle REFRESHMENTS S which also include idealized portraits of the Hohenzollerns. Church (bottom l.); Mythical beast from the »Schöner Hof« (below) Burgschänke · Café im Schönen Hof A Tel. +49 (0) 9221 81313 L
P HOW TO GET THERE Plassenburg ob Kulmbach Train to K ulmbach The pride and treasure of the Franconian Hohenzollerns No parking facilities at the castle, no access for coaches Central car park or Basteigasse multi-storey car park · Plassenbur g- Both princely residence and massive fortress, Plassen - is a cultural centre of the Obermainland region. After destruc - Express shuttle bus from t he town centre (central car park) burg is one of Bavaria’s most impressive historical build - tion of the fortifications by order of Napoleon in 1806, the FURTHER MUSEUMS IN THE CASTLE ings. The »Schöner Hof« (Beautiful Courtyard) with its richly castle served until 1928 as a gaol and workhouse – it is now Deutsches Zinnfigurenmuseum and Landschaftsmuseum Obermain decorated arcades has all the atmosphere of a German used for exhibitions, museums and special collections. The (same opening times) Renaissance court. The exterior fortifications testify to Free State of Bavaria and the town of Kulmbach today main - the effort required to remain politically independent in the tain four museums under one roof. Information on all the property administered by the Palace Department: Confessional Age. The power and pretensions of the bur - The Hohenzollerns in Franconia museum is located in the graves of Nuremberg and the margraves of Brandenburg historical rooms dating from the 16th century with their are nowhere as evident as in this castle. spectacular interiors and furnishings. Postfach 20 20 62 · 80020 München From 1338/40 to 1791, Plassenburg was a ruling seat [email protected] · www.schloesser.bayern.de of the Franconian Hohenzollerns, and after The Frederick the Great Army Museum has this was a Prussian fortress until 1806. The Prussian weapons and military items dating from Berlin © magnificent complex was built in its present 1700 to 1806. A 72 form from 1557 for Margrave Georg Dresden © The Deutsche Zinnfigurenmuseum (German Friedrich by the architect Caspar Vischer, Kronach Hof Museum of Pewter Figures) has the largest collection Coburg B 173 after the original building on this site had B 303 of pewter figures in Germany, including the diorama been destroyed in the Second Margraves’ with the most figures in the world: »The destruction of Münchberg War. In place of the small castle which had B 4 Kulmbach Kulmbach on St. Conrad’s Day 1553«. been founded before 1135 by the Counts of A 9 B 289 Andechs, Vischer created a representative In the Landschaftsmuseum Obermain (Museum of
four-winged complex, fortified on the side the Upper Main Region) the history and natural history B 85 B 303 facing the hill with massive bastions. Today of the town and the region are documented with a © Schweinfurt Plassenburg, situated high above Kulmbach, wide variety of exhibits and displays. A 70 Bamberg Bayreuth Nürnberg © H Plassenburg C A
B ob Kulmbach M L U K
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G R U B N E S S A
L Margrave Christian Ernst, 1657 (left); Hans von Margrave Johann Friedrich, 1659 (right); state bed of Margra -
P Kulmbach, rosary picture, c. 1516/18 (middle) vine Maria, c. 1630 (below)
The Hohenzollerns in Franconia
Princes and kings from the House of Hohenzollern signif - turies to Prussian dominance and the endeavours of the Prus-sian icantly influenced the course of German history. The kings to preserve the Franconian monuments of their family. museum in Plassenburg Castle documents the history of The museum was established together with the »Haus der this family – once burgraves of Nuremberg – who Bayerischen Geschichte « and the State Collections of Bavaria, became powerful in Franconia and ruled here until 1806. in particular the Bavarian Army Museum. Governing from the two centres of Ansbach and Kulm - bach/Bayreuth, they shaped the development of Frederick the Great Army Museum Central and Upper Franconia by supporting the Reformation, encouraging the settlement of The museum in the most important Hohenzollern fortress the Huguenots and introducing economic in Bavaria has the largest existing collection of old reforms. Franconia was the Hohenzollern’s Prussian military items dating from 1700 to 1806, power base for expanding into Brandenburg which are on display in 32 glass cases. and Prussia. When the Franconian hereditary It documents the outward appearance and inner lines died out, the Prussian kings took over structure of an army which altered the course of the Franconian homelands, which they ruled history on the battlefields of 18t h- century Europe from 1792 to 1806. and focuses in particular on the time of Frederick The new museum in the magnificent resi - the Great (174 0–1786). The infantry and cavalry dential rooms of the 16t h- century castle are described in detail, as well as the social struc - illustrates the life of princes in the Baroque ture of the troops. The main exhibits are firearms, age. It traces the progress of the Hohen - swords, flags and paintings. The museum was zollerns from the Middle Ages, through the established jointly with the collector and historian two margraviates of the 17th and 18th cen - Bernd Windsheimer. Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung