Füssen

Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometer from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles.

History

Füssen was settled in Roman times, on the Via Claudia Augusta, a road that leads southwards to northern Italy and northwards to Augusta Vindelicum (today's Augsburg), the former regional capital of the Roman province Raetia. The original name of Füssen was "Foetes", or "Foetibus" (inflected), which derives from Latin "Fauces", meaning "gorge", probably referring to the Lech gorge. In Late Antiquity Füssen was the home of a part of the Legio III Italica, which was stationed there to guard the important trade route over the Alps.

Füssen later became the site of the "Hohes Schloss" (High Castle), the former summer residence of the prince-bishops of Augsburg. Below the Hohes Schloss is the Baroque complex of the former Benedictine monastery of St. Mang, whose history goes back to the 9^th century. Füssen has Saint Mang (Magnus of Füssen) as its patron saint. He and his Benedictine brother Theodor were two monks from the Abbey of Saint Gall and are considered to be its founders, in addition to the Monastery of Kempten. Magnus' original burial place was in the small chapel he built. His bones were transferred to the crypt of the church built in 850. Around the year 950 all his bones disappeared.

The canting coat of arms, depicting a triskeles symbol (alluding to the German Füsse "feet"), is based on a city seal used in the early 14^th century.

In 1745, the Treaty of Füssen was signed between the Electorate of Bavaria and Habsburg Austria, ending Bavaria's participation in the War of the Austrian Succession.

During the 19^th century, composer Richard Wagner used to come to Füssen by railway when he visited King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.

Forggensee and Surroundings

View of the village Hopfen am See, and the Hopfensee (Hopfen lake). In the distance are the castles Neuschwanstein (just right of center), and Hohenschwangau (to the right of Neuschwanstein). (1278k)