The highly visible Fugger Castle, Renaissance art and traces of local history give Kirchheim i.Schw. a distinct cultural profile. Its historical details range from the castle’s construction and a 15th-century bell to the rebuilding after a major fire. This lets you explore different aspects of the town when choosing your stay.
Fugger Castle: Construction History and Architectural Ensemble
Fugger Castle is the highly visible landmark of Kirchheim and is also known as “the Bavarian Escorial.” Its history begins on the site of a medieval castle: Johannes Fugger had most of it demolished between 1578 and 1587 and built today’s castle in the same place. The site therefore remained the same, while the complex underwent a fundamental transformation.
In 1601, the son of the castle’s builder, Marcus Fugger, founded a Dominican monastery. The castle, monastery and church formed the “Swabian Escorial” as a unified ensemble. Another chapter in the construction history followed in 1605: Marie Salome, née Baroness zu 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. The dates and names show how closely the history of these buildings is connected with the Fugger family.
Renaissance Art, a Bell and the Cedar Hall
The high tomb of Hans Fugger, the castle’s builder, is located in the choir of the Catholic parish church of St Peter and Paul. It is considered one of the finest Renaissance sculptures in southern Germany. The bell of St Leonard’s Chapel preserves another historical trace: it dates from around 1470 and bears the inscription “hilf ihs yn der er unsser lieben frawen und s. lienhardus.”
The Cedar Hall is the most prestigious room in Fugger Castle. Its features include a wooden ceiling, larger-than-life terracotta figures, a fireplace and imposing portals. The castle’s acoustics can also be experienced at numerous concerts during the summer months. If you would like to include a concert in your travel plans, check the specific dates in advance.
The local history museum is on the second and top floors of Kirchheim Town Hall. Its collections cover prehistory and early history, art, folklore, local history, crafts and agriculture. Alongside the history of the castle, it offers other subjects spanning early periods through to life and work in the town.
Townscape and Historical Traces
The precisely aligned gabled houses on Haselbacherstraße tell the story of Kirchheim’s rebuilding after the major fire of 20 June 1861. Sixty-two houses were destroyed, and the row of houses bears witness to the orderly reconstruction that followed. A fountain featuring a monument to St John of Nepomuk adds another historical note to the market square. Its pedestal, with a curved gable, bears the year 1740 and the relief coats of arms of Count Cajetan Joseph Fugger and his wife Anna, née Stein zu Rechtenstein.
The town’s former water supply can also be traced through a building: at the foot of the castle hill stands the Fugger water-pumping station, Brunnenhaus, built in 1563. Hans Fugger had it repaired in 1585, and it was altered in the 18th century. Its original purpose was to supply the castle and its fountains with water. In 1909, Prince Carl Ernst Fugger von Glött had a new shooting range with the Hubertushaus built on the site of a medieval castle complex—another, much later use of a historic site.
Location in the Unterallgäu
Kirchheim i.Schw. is located within the broader travel destination of the Unterallgäu. At district level, the A7 and A96 motorways run through the area; a dense road network, rail connections and Allgäu Airport in Memmingerberg also contribute to regional accessibility. This information describes the Unterallgäu, not individual connections in the town. When planning your journey to your holiday apartment, it is therefore worth checking the best route from your starting point.
For your travel plans, Kirchheim i.Schw. offers a range of historical themes: castle construction and the founding of the monastery, sacred art, traces of the fire and the former water supply. You can shape your stay around the period and aspect of local history that interest you most.
Discover more destinations: Buxheim, Memmingen, Erkheim, Boos, Westerheim, Memmingerberg, Mindelheim, Pfaffenhausen.
View the broader travel guide: Unterallgäu.
