Filseck Castle Outdoor facilities

Burgbau (1230 )

Filseck Castle was built around 1230, during the Staufer period, by Count Egino von Aichelberg. According to legend, Filseck Castle was a protective fortress for the imperial road in the Filstal and for the monasteries of Faurndau and Sirnau at the time of Barbarossa (the first Staufer emperor). In addition, it was considered an antebellum to the castle Hohenstaufen.

Initially, Filseck consisted of a 10 x 10 m two-storey residential tower with a 40 x 40 m courtyard. The 4 m deep moats served as a quarry.

14th to 16th century (1400 )

In the 14th/15th century, a tithe barn was built on the west side for taxes in kind paid by the peasants. From these taxes, a part of the harvest of the farmers, lived the lords of the castle.

In 1596, the castle went to Burkhard von Berlichingen. In the following years, Berlichingen had the castle rebuilt into a Renaissance castle. In 1596/97, the north and partly the east wing was rebuilt in the Renaissance style - similar to today's appearance.

Further it is mentioned that over terraces 99 steps led down to the cemetery; compare painting by Fritz Schurr.

18th century - Baron von Ertringen (1721 )

Carl Magnus Leutrum Freiherr von Ertingen bought Schloss Filseck in 1721 and extended it by a second storey on the east wing; a four-winged castle with the same ridge height was created. In addition, he built the Charlottenhof in 1733 and created the Charlottensee (today's biotope), named after his wife.

A newly planted avenue connected the castle with the Charlottenhof. Immediately adjacent to the palace, impressive parks were created in the style of an English landscape garden.

Conversion by the Münch family (1749 )

The Augsburg banker Christian I von Münch became the owner of Filseck Castle in 1749. The headquarters of the Münch family was in Hohenmühringen. Filseck Castle served as the family's summer residence at that time, along with five other castles and farms.

Under Christian III. (1752-1821) von Münch, extensive gardens were created. A column in the park commemorated the son August von Münch, who died at an early age. In 1851 a modern farm building was erected to the south of the palace. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Münch (1834-1882) studied agriculture in Hohenheim. New horse and cow stables with a modern feed alley were built and a water pipe, as well as electricity and telephone were installed at Filseck Castle. Around 1905 Oskar von Münch had a well house built. A pump carried the water drawn from there up to the water tank, today's water reservoir, from where it was then piped into the castle.

Waggershauser family (1906 - 1969) (1906 )

Young farmer Otto and Veronika Waggershauser leased Schloss Filseck from February 2, 1906, from which time the farm was run with estate managers. The first building measures were a chicken and pigsty and an own feeding shed. In 1910 the "Schweizerhäusle" was built for the cattle keeper. Together with the Hohenheim Agricultural College, the "Waggershauser Kolbendinkel" was bred.

On Sundays, many people at that time walked to the largest farm in the lower Filstal, to Filseck and marveled at the exemplary fields and stables. After the 1st World War and the death of Otto Waggershauser, the son Alfons Waggershauser took over much responsibility for Filseck. He reforested the orchards on the slopes around the castle with 2000 fruit trees, as no agriculture was possible there. A bee house for the pollination of the trees was necessary. The Filsecker apple and pear cider became famous and was an important income for the family. Several 7000 litre barrels were stored in the cellar of the castle.

After the marriage of Alfons and Ria Waggershauser, large-scale chicken farming began. Under the leadership of Ria Waggershauser, a skilled poultry farmer, rearing huts were built on the shady slopes east of the castle. A good business after the Second World War. With the departure of the Waggershausers in 1969, the last farmer left Schloss Filseck.

Renovations in modern times (1971 )

A fire in May 1971 destroyed mainly the farm buildings at Schloss Filseck. Afterwards, Doctor Manfred Beck from Stuttgart acquired the castle. In the following years, several attempts by private persons failed due to the high costs of renovation, until the district of Göppingen bought the "ruin with roof" in 1986. From 1989 - 1994 Schloss Filseck was renovated. Since 01.01.2008 Schloss Filseck is owned by the Schloss-Filseck-Stiftung der Kreissparkasse. Today, a restaurant, various event halls, the district archive and the district archaeology of the district are located in the castle, as well as the headquarters of the Castle-Filseck Foundation.

Without the forest and the trees that surround and enclose the castle, this would have a much smaller charm. "You have to look at the trees, where they grow slenderly upwards, the soil is deep and well cared for!" used to say Alfons Waggershauser.

Filseck Castle today (2016 )

With the concept of the Filseck Landscape Park and the renovation of the castle park, sustainable economic action is being turned into reality. These recent measures were initiated by the Schloss Filseck Foundation from 2011 - 2015 and give the region an old new heart. A special task is the development of an identity for the place through the preservation of typical local and landscape features on the one hand and an object-related innovative open space design on the other.

to the stories back to overview

1. Burgbau (1230)
2. 14th to 16th century (1400)
3. 18th century - Baron von Ertringen (1721)
4. Conversion by the Münch family (1749)
5. Waggershauser family (1906 - 1969) (1906)
6. Renovations in modern times (1971)
7. Filseck Castle today (2016)