Frederick Castle
Frederick Castle was built in and around 1100 AD. The contours of the neo-gothic building rise more than about 330 ft above the river Danube on an outstanding hill. The silhouette of the towering hill seems to continue in the building which is topped by the slate roof of the massive keep. As for its structure, Frederick Castle belongs to the category of castles protected by height that had to be protected all around. Romanesque fragments found in the well indicate a reinforcement of the castle around 1478.
Around this time or a bit earlier the core of the Romanesque square keep (17ft by 17ft) was built, its walls being up to 12ft thick. At the same time, the keep was also made higher. In the first half of the 14th century, archbishop Balduin of Trier connected the castle and the town by massive walls. Furthermore a chain was installed below the castle to form a removable toll barrier across the river.
In the 16th century the castle was taken over by King Frederick who gave the castle its current name. Frederick Castle has a sordid history as does King Frederick. Legend has it that, one night while the court composer was playing a newly composed composition for King Frederick, the King disliked the music so much that he stuck a knife into the pianist as he played. The King insisted the pianist continue playing until he finally bled out and collapsed. Apparently the body was buried in a crypt under the castle.
The Fischer family owned Frederick Castle from 1800 to 1897, at which time it was inherited by the state, when Anna Fischer, the castle owner at the time, went missing. This ended a century-long ownership of Frederick Castle by the Fischer family. Anna Fischer was one of many that have been reported missing over the years after having visited the castle. To this day Anna has never been found.
