Telephone cell in Friedberg: Discover a new way to democracy!

Telephone cell in Friedberg: Discover a new way to democracy!

On July 11, 2025, the first telephone booth of the new royal telephone company was opened in the impressive Friedberg Castle. The innovative project, known under the code name "Blind Date", was led by Mr. Schneider, aka Klaus Gehre, and is intended to herald the future of communication technology according to the fiber optic. In the middle of the historical backdrop of the castle, which has been one of the most striking landmarks of Hesse since it was built between 1171 and 1180 on behalf of Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, a modern connection to the past was created.

Despite the festive opening, the technical challenges did not fail to materialize. There were problems that affected the connection of the monarch to the new telephone booth. In order to enable communication, ten “dongels” that had been lost on the extensive area of the castle had to be found. For this purpose, ten service teams were formed, which were equipped with distance measuring devices and a list of distances between markings. Team six finally succeeded and discovered a "donge" under a stone in the Römerbad, where city guide Roland Reichl gave exciting information about Roman history.

The connection between past and future

The return of all teams and the subsequent solution to the technical problems finally made it possible to successfully use the telephone booth. The monarch took the opportunity to address the citizens and called for them to talk to each other more often and work together on the future of the castle. The telephone booth quickly became a symbol of democratic discourse. The proposals collected were transmitted to the Hessian state parliament, which shows that the tradition of shared decision in this historical place remains alive.

The Friedberg Castle, one of the largest castle complex in Germany, has experienced many changes in its long history. It once serves as the central point of the Friedberg burial countess and today houses public institutions, including parts of the tax office and the Burggymnasium. Interestingly, the castle had had its greatest political influence since the 15th century and was largely involved in the Kuriat voice of the Wetterau Counts in the Reichstag. Over time, the castle increasingly turned into a manor and preserved its Staufische Constitution until 1806 before it was finally mediatized to the Grand Duchy of Hesse.

a place of living history

The opening of the telephone booth is not only a step into the future, but also focuses on local history. Children and adolescents learn from Roman legions and the visit of the Russian Tsar Nikolaus II in 1910. The telephone booth is now positioned in the castle courtyard and is intended to serve as barhouses, which makes the place even more accessible and at the same time strengthens the sense of community.

The castle itself, which over 3.9 hectares at 140 meters above sea level. NN is enthroned, not only offers architectural treasures such as the Adolf Sturm, the oldest preserved building in the castle, but also tells the story of conflicts between the castle and the city. These go back to 1275 when the castle was destroyed by the city. Thanks to King Rudolf I's leadership, however, she soon gained strength and weight.

The combination of historical heritage and modern dialogue makes Friedberg Castle a living center. Anyone who enters the historical backdrop feels the pulse of history and learns how important shared exchange is. The project of the new royal telephone company is another component on the way to a future -oriented and community -thinking society in Friedberg.