Kirchheim i.Schw.: Fugger Castle and Local History

Kirchheim i.Schw. is shaped by a striking historic ensemble: The highly visible Fugger Castle is considered a landmark and is also known as “the Bavarian Escorial.” Features at the parish church, town hall and market square add to this focal point. When searching for a hotel in Kirchheim i.Schw., it helps to consider your own interests: the castle and Renaissance history sit alongside the townscape, museum and regional context.

Fugger Castle and the Cedar Hall

Between 1578 and 1587, Johannes Fugger had the medieval castle largely demolished and the present-day Fugger Castle built in its place. The castle’s construction thus marks a turning point in the town’s history: the castle complex became the present-day palace. In 1601, the son of the castle’s builder, Marcus Fugger, founded a Dominican monastery. The “Swabian Escorial” thus emerged as an ensemble of palace, monastery and church.

The Cedar Hall is the most imposing room in Fugger Castle. Its features include a wooden ceiling, larger-than-life terracotta figures, a fireplace and imposing portals. The route from the main portal, through the so-called Tuscan Colonnade, to the Cedar Hall leads to this central room. Numerous concerts during the summer months bring the acoustics of Fugger Castle to life; no specific concert dates are indicated.

Church, chapel and local history

Buildings and objects beyond the history of the castle also offer insights into different eras. The high tomb of Hans Fugger, the castle’s builder, is located in the chancel of the Catholic parish church of St. Peter and Paul. It is considered one of the finest Renaissance sculptures in southern Germany. The bell at Leonhard’s Chapel dates from around 1470 and bears the inscription “hilf ihs yn der er unsser lieben frawen und s. lienhardus”.

In 1605, Marie Salome, née Baroness of Aulendorf-Königsegg and wife of Marcus Fugger, had a “chapel in praise and honour of the Annunciation of Mary” built on the site of an older Chapel of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. At the foot of the castle hill stands the Fugger water pumping station, the Brunnenhaus, built in 1563. It was repaired in 1585 under Hans Fugger, remodelled in the 18th century, and supplied the castle and its fountains with water.

A fountain with a monument to St. John of Nepomuk stands in the market square. On its pedestal with a swept gable are the year 1740 and the relief coats of arms of Count Cajetan Joseph Fugger and his wife Anna, née Stein of Rechtenstein. The precisely aligned gabled houses on Haselbacherstraße tell of another turning point: after the great fire of 20 June 1861, which destroyed 62 houses, the orderly rebuilding bears witness to the reshaping of the townscape.

Museum and regional context

The local history museum occupies the second floor and attic of Kirchheim Town Hall. Its collections cover prehistory and early history, art, folklore, local history, crafts and agriculture. This extends the view beyond individual buildings to the subjects that concern life in the town and its development.

Kirchheim i.Schw. is located within the wider travel destination of Unterallgäu. The Iller to the west and the Wertach to the east form its natural boundaries. Unterallgäu lies along the A7 and A96 motorways; an extensive road network, rail connections and Allgäu Airport in Memmingerberg add to the region’s accessibility. Cycle routes and hiking trails are consistently signposted throughout the district; Unterallgäu is also home to the Glückswege. These regional features provide the wider context, while the castle, churches, museum and streetscape are Kirchheim’s local cultural highlights.

Discover more destinations: Woringen, Winterrieden, Erkheim, Mindelheim, Memmingen, Stetten, Rammingen, Memmingerberg.

Return to the overview of the wider travel destination: Unterallgäu.