"Hohenasperg - A German prison".
This is the title of the permanent exhibition that the Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg has set up in the former arsenal building of the prison. Using the example of 22 prisoner biographies, the exhibition shows how imprisonment as a punishment has developed over three centuries.
Far beyond the borders of Württemberg, Hohenasperg was long regarded as the political prison par excellence. The numerous names used to characterize this place bear witness to this: "Demokratenbuckel", "Tränenberg", "Hausberg der schwäbischen Intelligenz", "Schicksalsberg" or "der höchste Berg Württembergs" (because it takes 20 minutes to get up, but sometimes years to get down again). However, the exhibition organizers believe that focusing solely on the political prisoners, especially of the Vormärz period and the failed revolution of 1848, is not enough.
Over the centuries, many thousands of people were locked up high up on Hohenasperg - for a variety of reasons. Some had to atone for their political convictions, others were simply disgraced or became victims of racial persecution. And still others had stolen, cheated or killed people.
The "fortress detention" high up on the mountain, visible from afar, always seemed like a particularly clear demonstration of power. The state's message, which came across very simply down below, was this: "Look, this is what happens to those who cross the line." It was probably no coincidence that children in the area often heard this sentence: "If you're not good, you'll go to Asperg."
Families, school classes, history buffs, professional historians: they can all find lots of interesting facts in the permanent exhibition at Hohenasperg. It provides a closer look at a total of 22 prisoners' lives, and in-depth research is possible in the reading room with a large database. In addition to the original door of the Schubart cell, there are numerous other authentic objects to marvel at.
The facility
The 356 m high Hohenasperg has a varied history. Once an early Celtic princely seat, it was expanded into a fortress under counts, dukes from 1495 and kings from 1806.
The Keuper-Zeugenberg, visible from afar, was often besieged. It was later used as a state prison for political prisoners (including Jud Süß Oppenheimer, Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart and Friedrich List), and during the Nazi era as a transit camp for Sinti and Roma and a prison for opponents of the regime such as Eugen Bolz.) The hill, beautifully situated above the Neckar region, offers an impressive panoramic view. Top-class Württemberg wines thrive on the steep southern slope.
