A hidden gem in Munich’s Schwabing district awaits. Schloss Suresnes stands before you. This is no ordinary castle. Its story is a blend of architectural elegance and fascinating history.
Built between 1715 and 1718 by Johann Baptist Gunetzrhainer Schloss Suresnes was modeled after the Chateau de Suresnes near Paris. Its commissioner was Franz von Wilhelm. He was the cabinet secretary of Elector Maximilian Emanuel. The Elector had spent months in exile at the French chateau. Schloss Suresnes is a lasting tribute to that time. A direct link to a significant period in Bavarian history.
Over the years Schloss Suresnes saw many owners. Johann Leopold Ignatius Freiherr Manteuffel and his wife Maria Clara were among them. So were Maria Theresia Caroline Countess of Preysing-Moos and Friedrich Reichsgraf von Vieregg. Wilhelm Friedrich von Jordan Ludovica Countess of Kesling and Franz Xaver Haslinger also owned the property. Ferdinand von Dollinger held ownership at one point as well.
By the beginning of the 19th century the castle fell into disrepair. In 1855 Carl August von Steinheil took up residence. Later from 1869 to 1870 the renowned sculptor Elisabet Ney lived and worked within its walls.
The late 19th century saw Schloss Suresnes become a hub for young artists. Hans Reichel a painter had an atelier there. Paul Klee another famous artist also had a studio at Schloss Suresnes for three months. A fascinating fact: during the Munich Soviet Republic Reichel hid the left-socialist revolutionary and writer Ernst Toller in his apartment. Toller was arrested there in 1919 after a denouncement.
In 1937 the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising acquired Schloss Suresnes. Since 1967 it has served as a conference center for the Catholic Academy in Bavaria. Archbishop Reinhard Marx even used it as a residence while renovations were underway at the Archbishop’s Palace.
Schloss Suresnes isn’t just a building. It’s a living testament to Munich’s rich past. A place where history art and faith intertwine. A silent observer of centuries of change. A place that whispers stories of artists revolutionaries and religious leaders. A treasure that deserves your attention.