Feldafing Facts for Kids

Feldafing is a lovely town in Bavaria, Germany. It's located right on the western shore of Lake Starnberg, which is southwest of the big city of Munich. Feldafing is known for its beautiful lake views and interesting history.

A Look Back at Feldafing's History
Getting Around Feldafing
Ancient Homes by the Lake
Images for kids
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A Look Back at Feldafing's History

The story of Feldafing starts a very long time ago on a special place called the Roseninsel, or Rose Island. This is the only island in Lake Starnberg. People have lived here since the Neolithic Period, which was thousands of years ago!

Feldafing is also famous for the Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth. Both the Rose Island and this hotel were favorite vacation spots for the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, often called "Sisi."

How Feldafing Got Its Name

The name Feldafing likely comes from the Bavarian language. The first time Feldafing was mentioned in writing was in 1116. Back then, a person named Ruodolfus de Veldovingen ruled the area. He was part of the Berthold von Andechs family.

Since the mid-1300s, Feldafing and the Rose Island have belonged to the House of Wittelsbach. At that time, Feldafing was the biggest fishing village on Lake Starnberg.

Early Buildings and Changes

In the early 1400s (around 1401), Feldafing's Catholic Church was built. This church was probably in the same spot where the Catholic St. Peter and Paul Church stands today.

The 1600s brought many changes to Feldafing. There were often disagreements over land between different wealthy families.

Royal Connections

In 1850, King Maximilian II bought the Rose Island. He had known the Feldafing area since he was a child. He built a beautiful villa and a garden house on the island. The island, once called Wörth, got its new name, Roseninsel, because of the round rose garden he planned there.

King Ludwig II loved the Rose Island and visited it often. People say the island was also a secret meeting place for the king and his cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria. Today, the island has a museum in the villa, lovely preserved gardens, and hosts many music and cultural events.

Modern Feldafing Begins

Feldafing's more recent history started when the railway line was built in 1864. This changed the village from mainly fishing and farming. Around the early 1900s, many fancy villas were built in Feldafing.

In 1890, there were about 70 houses in Feldafing. By 1933, there were over 170 houses. The number of people living there more than doubled in that time, reaching 1,185 in 1933. After World War II, even more people moved to Feldafing, including refugees.

Recreation and World War II

After World War I, one of the first golf courses in Germany was built in Feldafing. Later, other fun places like a beach and tennis club were added. The park and the Rose Island are currently being fixed up to look like they did originally.

During the Nazi era, Feldafing was home to a special school for the Nazi Party. It was also the site of a subcamp connected to the Dachau concentration camp. After World War II, Feldafing became part of the American zone. The school and subcamp were turned into a camp for Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.

Getting Around Feldafing

Feldafing station is served by the S-Bahn line 6 train. Trains come every twenty or forty minutes. You can travel towards Tutzing station or towards Munich.

The highway A952 starts in Starnberg. This highway connects Feldafing to Munich or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. You can also reach Feldafing on highway B2 through Pöcking, Traubing, or Wieling. The St2063 road connects Tutzing, Feldafing, and Possenhofen. Locals call it the "Lake street" because it runs along the shore of Lake Starnberg.

Ancient Homes by the Lake

Feldafing is home to some very old pile-dwelling settlements. These are like houses built on stilts over water. They are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means they are very important historical sites protected by the world.