Aschach Castle – The History of the Graf Luxburg Museum

The history of Aschach Castle dates back to the Middle Ages.

Situated near the Lower Franconian spa town of Bad Kissingen, the castle was constructed by the Counts of Henneberg. It later functioned as an administrative seat and hunting lodge for the prince-bishops of Würzburg for nearly 300 years.

Friedrich Count von Luxburg (1829-1905) purchased the castle from the Sattler family of Schweinfurt in 1874. At his request, Aschach Castle was designated as the summer residence for the Count von Luxburg family. Notable figures, including Imperial Chancellor Otto Prince of Bismarck (1815-1898), frequently visited Aschach Castle during their stays at the nearby spa in Bad Kissingen.

Count Friedrich had the castle renovated for his family and, as a passionate art collector, gradually acquired art objects from antiquarians and art dealers to furnish the estate. His primary focus was on furniture, paintings, and decorative objects made of silver and glass. While most of the artworks he collected originated from Europe, his account books also reveal his initial acquisitions from East Asia, including Japanese and Chinese porcelain.

After the death of his father, Count Karl von Luxburg (1872-1956) managed Aschach Castle alongside his mother, Countess Luise von Luxburg (1847-1929). He enhanced the castle's collection by adding art objects he had acquired during his time in East Asia.

Count Karl and his wife, Carola Countess von Luxburg (1877-1968), had no children.

As the von Luxburg family sought to preserve Aschach Castle and its collections for future generations, they donated the castle and its contents to the district of Lower Franconia in 1955. The Graf Luxburg Museum was established in the castle in 1957 and was reopened in 2020 following a redesign.

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