Festung Königstein
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Königstein Fortress (German: ) is a famously impregnable fortress near Dresden, in Saxon Switzerland, Germany, near the town of Königstein. The fortress is one of Saxony's foremost tourist attractions, with 700,000 visitors per year.
The first reference to a castle at Königstein is from 1241. At that time the region was split between the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Bishopric of Meissen. To delimit the boundary running between the two states, King Wenceslaus I established the castle which controlled the Elbe valley above Pirna. Emperor Charles IV also certified Bohemian control of the town in 1359.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the castle came into the control of the Saxon Margraves of Meissen. The current structure was originally built between 1589 and 1594 by Prince-elector Christian I of Saxony. Additions continued to be made until the 19th century. The castle had its own water supply and food production. It was never taken, not even during World War II. However, on April 17, 1942, captured French General Henri Giraud successfully escaped German captivity from the castle.
External links
- [Official website] - in German, French and English
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