Freyschlösschen (Roter Turm)

Das Freyschlösschen is a building on the Mönchsberg in the city of Salzburg. It was originally called "Roter Turm" (Red Tower), later Freyvilla or Freyburg. It was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1380. It was built as a tower in the Middle Ages to support the first city walls and to secure the link between Mönchsberg and Festungsberg. In 1822, the monastery of St. Peter purchased the tower. It was associated with the Meierei am Roten Turm, an agricultural company. In later years, the owners changed rather frequently.

In 1862, the merchant Carl von Frey bought the tower. He renovated and modernised the property, extended it and made it his favourite residence. His son, Max von Frey, inherited the property in 1897. Max von Frey was a doctor and apparently a fan of the then fashionable historicism: He had several extensions built in neo-Gothic style. By then, the tower was already known as Freyschlössl.

Later in the 20th century, the building fell into disrepair and was only partly inhabited by the heirs of the Frey family. In 2009, a local manager of a wood company bought the property and had it renovated. At this time, the Freyschlössl was still more or less in the same Disneyland-Gothic kitsch state in which Max von Frey had decorated it around 1900. The Freyschlössl is private property and not open to the general public.

Further Reading

http://cityradio.salzburg.com/wiki/index.php/Freyschl%C3%B6sschen
Freyschlösschen (Roter Turm) on SalzburgWiki (German)


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