Donaumünster Castle

Donaumünster Castle is located at Alexander-von-Bernus-Straße 4 in Donaumünster, Tapfheim, Donau-Ries district, Swabia administrative region in the federal state of Bavaria.

The place name was simply Münster until 1923, was formerly in the Erlingshofen district and was initially owned by the Reichenau Monastery on Lake Constance. From the 13th century, the knightly family of the Lords of Münster appears, whose castle on the right bank of the Danube is first documented in 1256. In 1363, it came into the possession of Count Ludwig the Elder of Oettingen, and the entire property was sold to the Heilig Kreuz Monastery in Donauwörth in 1365. Between 1720-1730, an abbot of this monastery had a castle-like baroque official residence with volute gables built. After the secularization driven by Napoleon, Münster came to the Princes of Oettingen-Wallerstein in 1803, who, among other things, received all church property including the so-called Donaumünster Castle, as well as other properties in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as compensation for the territorial losses of their Lordship of Dagstuhl (today part of Wadern in Saarland).

In 1921, Alexander von Bernus, the well-known poet and alchemist, acquired the small so-called Baroque castle, which he initially used only as a summer residence, but from 1943 onwards as the permanent residence for his family. His daughter Marina, born in 1933, also spent part of her youth here.

Marina von Bernus was married to Peter Fuld (1921–1962), son and heir of Harry Fuld (1879–1932), the founder of TN TELE NORMA, or Tenovis Avaya. The marriage was dissolved on July 27, 1961. Marina von Bernus moved to Canada.

Alexander von Bernus died here at Donaumünster Castle on March 6, 1965. His wife and widow Isa von Bernus lived with a lifelong right of residence until her death on May 12, 2001, in the slowly decaying castle.

The castle houses the extensive private library built up by Alexander von Bernus over many years, in accordance with his poetic inclinations, as well as the SOLUNA laboratory he established, in accordance with his alchemical inclinations. Founded by him in 1921 under the name "Laboratorium Stift Neuburg", he primarily researched the works of Paracelsus. After moving to Donaumünster Castle, he re-established a laboratory here for the production of spagyric medicines.

On March 17, 1996, the "Alexander von Bernus Gesellschaft e.V." was founded at Donaumünster Castle, which is committed to the care and preservation of the work of Alexander von Bernus and this property.