Garatshausen Castle

Kaspar Weiler had the square, castle-like building, with octagonal towers projecting from its sides, erected in the 16th century for 11,000 Gulden on the shore of Lake Starnberg. Weiler's descendants transferred ownership of the property to Baron Georg Josef von Schrenk in 1694. In 1730, the Hofmark family Vieregg became the owner. From 1765, it belonged to Kaspar Graf von La Rosée. In 1834, Duke Max in Bavaria acquired the princely estate in addition to Possenhofen Castle. Sisi's sister, Maria Sophie, who married Franz II, King of the Two Sicilies and Naples, and became famous as the "Heroine of Gaeta," inherited it in 1862.

Social life flourished at Garatshausen Castle during the time of Albert and Margarete von Thurn und Taxis. Princess Helene married Hereditary Prince Maximilian Anton von Thurn und Taxis. The castle became part of the princely Thurn und Taxis family through purchase in 1888. It became Princess Helene's favorite place by the lake. Empress Sisi also apparently took a liking to Garatshausen Castle. She had rented it from her sister Maria Sophie for her stay, in order to reside appropriately, not far from her family in Possenhofen, in accordance with court etiquette.

The Old Castle belonged to Johannes Prince von Thurn und Taxis since 1952. After his death, the Old Castle is now used by Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and her children as an annex to their ancestral seat in Regensburg "St. Emmeram". The princely couple Albert and Margarete von Thurn und Taxis had the New Castle built next to the chapel by court architect Max Schulze.

The castle chapel dates from 1759. It houses a beautiful Rococo altar, which shows the Most Holy Trinity as the main image above the tabernacle, next to it on the left "Maria vom Rat" and on the right "St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus". Above the altar, the Heavenly Goddess with the Infant Jesus, holding a scepter and crown in a halo (18th century), is enthroned. The castle chapel rings weekly for Holy Mass and the Rosary prayer for the residents of the retirement home. Annually, on Rogation Days, a Rogation procession takes place from Tutzing to the Garatshausen Castle Chapel.

In 1952, the district of Starnberg bought the Baroque wing of the castle and established the district retirement home there. The New Castle was a retirement home from 1952 to 1994. Its furnishings from the princely era, with the Rose Cabinet and Mirror Hall from 1910 and its fully plastic frieze on marble pilasters, a work by Princess Margarete, have been preserved. Since 1995, modern buildings house the retirement home, and the new castle section with a training center and apartments for employees has been returned to its original purpose for residential and reception use.

Garatshausen Castle is located at the lowest end of the retirement home park and can only be reached through the entrance gate of the Garatshausen District Retirement Home. The castle cannot be visited.

Source text: www.garatshausen-info.de