Faber-Castell Castle
The children’s rooms have colourful walls, now restored to their former glory.
The interior is an impressive illustration of the multiplicity of styles at the end of the 19th century, including art nouveau. The rooms still reflect faithfully the way the nobility lived. Three rooms designed by the young architect Bruno Paul – the salon and the Count’s study on the ground floor and the Countess’s “lemon room” on the floor above – are outstanding examples of art nouveau. A preference for geometrical patterns is a typical mark of Bruno Paul, who entrusted the panelling of the walls and the furniture to the good craftsmanship of the United Workshops for Artisan Art in Munich. In contrast to the splendour of the reception rooms, the children’s rooms are clearly intended for living in. The furniture has gently rounded edges, and youthful imagination is stimulated by colourful friezes depicting fairytale characters. The latest equipment was installed. An electric dumb waiter transported the food from the kitchen in the basement to service pantries on each floor, known as offices. The entire electrical installation was planned by the technical bureau of the
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250 Years of Faber-Castell
Siemens-Schuckert works in Nuremberg. Over a thousand light bulbs illuminated the rooms and corridors on the three floors. Warmth and fresh air were provided by a low-pressure steam heating and ventilation system installed by MAN in Nuremberg. The bathrooms, very modern for their time, were equipped by a company based in Strasbourg and specializing in gas and water installations. The castle was completed in 1906 and served as the family home until 1939. After the Second World War, it came into the public eye as the “press camp” where international reporters and photographers were quartered during the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1949. From then until 1953 the American occupation army used the building as an officers’ mess. Although the family no longer lives there, Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell is keen to keep the Faber-Castell Castle in Stein in good repair. Numerous experts spent several years restoring and renovating it.