Burg Fronhofen

Burg Fronhofen stands on the edge of Fronhofen, a village now part of Fronreute in the Ravensburg district of Baden-Württemberg. Built around 1100, the site survives as a single tall stone stump about 18 metres high. Locals call it the Römerturm, though it has no Roman origins. The tower once formed part of a larger medieval residence for a local noble family. The family first appears in records in 1171 under Mengoz de Fronhove. By 1209 Eberhard and Berthold von Fronhofen already styled themselves as royal officials of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. A later Eberhard adopted the name Eberhardus de Kunigsegge after marrying into the Königsegg line, founding the still-existing counts of Königsegg. After the Fronhofen line died out, the Stuben family took over as new stewards. Visitors today see the sturdy Romanesque tower rising above farmland and orchards. The surrounding village preserves a quiet rural atmosphere typical of Oberschwaben. A small information board beside the tower explains its history in simple terms. The site offers a clear view across the flat valley towards the distant Allgäu hills.