Background Information
Background Information
A classic story behind the big name Faber-Castell, starting from the magnificent castle located in Stein, Germany.

The façade with arches and pillars with romanesque touches, wooden frame elements, round towers and corners and so on, reminds us of medieval castle designs. However, the interior is different. In impressive and distinct ways, the building style moved from the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance, through Empire and Classicism to what was then ultra-modern - Art Nouveau.

In 1898, Baron Wilhelm von Faber's eldest daughter, Ottilie (1877−1944) married Count Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, a member of one of the oldest aristocratic families in Germany. But the will of his grandfather, Lothar von Faber, had stipulated that whoever his descendants made it to his land must pass on not only the company name but also the Faber surname. So, with the approval of the Prince Regent of Luitpold, a new generation of Counts von Faber-Castell emerged. After Lothar's widow Ottilie died in 1903, the business passed on to their granddaughter, Ottilie and her husband, Alexander. That same year Count Alexander had a "fairly large fort" built on the grounds next to the production site at Stein, adjacent to the smaller Old Castle built by Lothar von Faber. The New Castle was ready for occupation in 1906.

The massive Neues Schloss (New Castle) was built in just three years (1903-06) under the supervision of Theodor von Kramer, head of the Bavarian planning department and director of the trade museum. Palaces, conservatories, chapels and monasteries are grouped along the grounds. The bell tower - the symbol of Stein's city - connects the two castles. The eastern front terrace with its graceful romanesque touches provides views of the gardens and elegant villas built for Lothar's son, Wilhelm von Faber in 1884. The oriel windows, towers and stones of the Neues Schloss remind us of a grand medieval castle - in keeping with the name Castell, a family that goes back to its origins in the 11th century.

The three floors of the castle provide an interesting contrast between historicism and art nouveau. Some of the rooms, which are of particular interest to art historians, were designed by Bruno Paul, a famous interior designer of the era. Other rooms are like a historical contest, which are interpretations of various styles of the past. There is a reception hall in classic French style, a renaissance library, a large entrance hall containing distinctive romanesque elements, a ballroom with gothic, renaissance, baroque and art nouveau details. The men's and women's bathrooms are unusual too, each with a sunken marble bathtub in an art nouveau style. The upper floor has a large party room where many balls and receptions are held for guests drawn from the aristocracy and the world of politics and business.

Faber-Castell Castle
Faber-Castell Castle
The exterior of the castle is decorated with arches and pillars made of wooden frames with a touch of Romanesque design, round corner towers and so on.
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Museum
Museum
The living witness to Faber-Castell industrial heritage.
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Production
Production
Have a look behind the scenes at pencil production
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Did you know?
Faber-Castell produces over 2.3 billion wood-cased pencils every year.
Faber-Castell produces over 2.3 billion wood-cased pencils every year.
Did you know?
Faber-Castell grows about 20 cubic metres of wood every hour, which corresponds to around 1 truck load.
Faber-Castell grows about 20 cubic metres of wood every hour, which corresponds to around 1 truck load.
Did you know?
Faber-Castell produces over 2.3 billion wood-cased pencils every year.
Faber-Castell produces over 2.3 billion wood-cased pencils every year.
Did you know?
The profile of wood-cased pencils was changed from round to hexagonal/triangle because they were constantly rolling off the table.
The profile of wood-cased pencils was changed from round to hexagonal/triangle because they were constantly rolling off the table.
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