Friedberg Castle, Friedberg, Germany

The Friedberg castle was subsequently built to serve as a border security and customs post for the Duchy of Bavaria and Swabia, but put the town in opposition to the free city of Augsburg. It was built between 1257-1264 by Duke Ludwig II.

The castle was the cause of the first burning of Friedberg by Augsburg in 1396. The town was subject to the many frequent wars between Swabia, Bavaria and Augsburg.

A revival in the town's fortunes came when, in 1568, the Duchess Christine chose Friedberg castle as her seat following her husband's death. The town became the centre of Bavarian court life, but was short lived when the town was ravaged by the plague in 1599. More suffering came as the town was sacked twice by the Swedes during the Thirty Years War. After the war only the town hall, castle and city walls were left standing.

The castle is situated on a spur of and has an unusually deep moat. Since the renovation in 1982, Friedberg castle has been a museum.

User Reviews

Henrik Ritz (2 years ago)
The museum is new and excellent. There are three main parts on the first floor : the town's local watchmakers, a prehistoric and roman age section and a section of the last few hundreds years. On the ground floor you can find the history and collections of local artists. Unfortunately taking photos is not allowed at all in the museum. The museum cafe has tasty cookies and cakes and coffee and other drinks also. Books in german and postcards available in the museum shops.

Valentine Gogichashvili (2 years ago)
Newly renovated castle with a perfectly organized museum dedicated to the city history, watches, and pottery.

Giorgio Syro (2 years ago)
Not much to see, just a rebuilded unimpressive "palace". The only worth watching is the museum with old hand made watches, if anyone has an interest to that kind of things.

Dave Laycock (2 years ago)
Nice, informative. The cafe has a small selection of cakes and drinks. There is an elevator.

Carmel Agius (Nenu) (2 years ago)
Amazing, state of the art museum, about the unique and intricate craftsmanship of watches in Friedberg from the 1800's. Most attractive is also the archeological display of the old history of this Bavarian town.

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Les Invalides

Les Invalides is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building"s original purpose. The buildings house the Musée de l"Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d"Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France"s war heroes, notably Napoleon Bonaparte.

Louis XIV initiated the project in 1670, as a home and hospital for aged and unwell soldiers: the name is a shortened form of hôpital des invalides. The architect of Les Invalides was Libéral Bruant. The enlarged project was completed in 1676, the river front measured 196 metres and the complex had fifteen courtyards. Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aged Bruant, and the chapel was finished in 1679 to Bruant"s designs after the elder architect"s death.

Shortly after the veterans" chapel was completed, Louis XIV commissioned Mansart to construct a separate private royal chapel referred to as the Église du Dôme from its most striking feature. Inspired by St. Peter"s Basilica in Rome, the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture. The domed chapel is centrally placed to dominate the court of honour. It was finished in 1708.

Because of its location and significance, the Invalides served as the scene for several key events in French history. On 14 July 1789 it was stormed by Parisian rioters who seized the cannons and muskets stored in its cellars to use against the Bastille later the same day. Napoleon was entombed under the dome of the Invalides with great ceremony in 1840. In December 1894 the degradation of Captain Alfred Dreyfus was held before the main building, while his subsequent rehabilitation ceremony took place in a courtyard of the complex in 1906.

The building retained its primary function of a retirement home and hospital for military veterans until the early twentieth century. In 1872 the musée d"artillerie (Artillery Museum) was located within the building to be joined by the Historical Museum of the Armies in 1896. The two institutions were merged to form the present musée de l"armée in 1905. At the same time the veterans in residence were dispersed to smaller centres outside Paris. The reason was that the adoption of a mainly conscript army, after 1872, meant a substantial reduction in the numbers of veterans having the twenty or more years of military service formerly required to enter the Hôpital des Invalides. The building accordingly became too large for its original purpose. The modern complex does however still include the facilities detailed below for about a hundred elderly or incapacitated former soldiers.

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