Events. Schloss Neubeuern.

Summer Festival 2026

25.07.2026

Many people can make a bigger difference

This year’s summer festival was blessed with glorious weather. In total, around five hundred former residents of Neubeur visited their ‘second home’ on Friday and Saturday and were delighted to catch up with their friends. These two festive days, with their wide variety of events, require an indescribable amount of effort to organise every year. But seeing the emotions that simply overwhelm all the summer festival guests – both former and current Neubeuer residents – makes every bit of effort worthwhile.

Contemplative, joyful, exciting and beautiful moments – the programme offered plenty of opportunities to feel a connection to Neubeuern Castle and to reminisce fondly about one’s own time at school and in the boarding house.

Friday

The morning was entirely devoted to sustainability – the theme of the project year, during which the project teams had chosen topics that culminated in exhibitions, presentations and even stalls at the summer festival. Knowing that former pupils would be in the audience is a key part of the motivation driving the pupils in their projects. Green gardening, sustainably designed architecture and the planning of practical outdoor spaces around the school – even an environmental mystery play – enriched both the project week at school and the summer festival.

On Friday morning, the pupils stayed amongst themselves with their teams of teachers and took part in a challenge. For example, they had to find specific tree species on the castle grounds or build a tower out of rubbish they had collected beforehand. Years 9 to 11 took part in the ‘Intergenerational Dialogue’ in the Castello’s assembly hall. Dr Wolfgang Bracker, a native of Altneubeur, gave a highly engaging talk on the field of surgery, which led into a lively discussion.

In the afternoon, the first Altneubeur alumni gathered at the pavilion to enjoy the long-awaited view over coffee and cake. In the evening, the event flowed seamlessly into the reunion for the anniversary cohorts. Around 140 guests took their seats at the beautifully laid tables, which were decorated with sunflowers. They enjoyed the summery menu and the musical performance by Jiadong Zhang, who played his very own interpretation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s ‘Turkish March’ on the piano.

Afterwards, the atmosphere at Café EDEN really came alive. It was the first time the café had stayed open until 2.00 am for a small after-party. Former pupils and pupils over the age of 16 danced and sang together to hits from the 1980s and had a great time. And so the first day of the summer festival, which ultimately drew to a close in the peaceful moonlight, was already a great success.

Summer Festival Saturday

Despite the short night, the day began for the assembled fire brigade at 9.30 am with the traditional morning get-together. Alongside Neubeur’s mayor, Christoph Schneider, the local fire brigade was also well represented.

Around midday, our pupils then moved to the south terrace. Following the prayer service in the chapel, a wreath was first laid at the statue of the Young Man, before the ‘Blaue Frauen 2026’ were ceremonially awarded. Simon Knell, Luise Liwanetz and the ‘Schlosslimonade’ P-seminar were delighted to receive this special award from the Old Pupils’ Association.

This year, the great honour of the Erich Proebst Prize was bestowed upon A-level student Clara-Emilia Braunbeck. She was deeply moved by Susanne Schörghuber’s heartfelt words.
This year also saw further honours bestowed upon individual deserving residents of Altneubeuern. It has been a long time since there was a decade in which the need for donations for Neubeuern Castle was so great. The coronavirus crisis, the West Wing and a dilapidated Trüperhaus caused quite a stir – and time and again, new problem areas are emerging in our venerable castle. It was a matter of great importance to the Board of Trustees to express their heartfelt thanks for the ongoing financial support from former pupils. The names of particularly outstanding donors have been, and will continue to be, engraved on a plaque which has been mounted in the archway of the MINT Centre since this year’s summer festival. In his speech, Mathis Wilke, Chair of the Board of Trustees, paid tribute to the donors currently featured there: Klaus Krone, Thomas Strüngmann, Helmut Nanz, Dr Wolfgang Bracker and Robert Saathoff.

After the honours, the guests went their separate ways: in the Old Castle Gymnasium, the play “Bio for Future – a Climate Thriller” was performed to great applause. At the same time, there was a huge rush at the cake buffet by the pavilion. At the pupils’ stalls, soap, pesto, herb salt, castle lemonade and various items featuring laser-engraved designs were on sale.
The Hinterberg Musicians were once again responsible for providing the musical entertainment at the summer festival. After Susanne Schörghuber and Thomas Straßer had officially opened the festival with a toast, the musicians played creatively and in high spirits until the end of the evening.

It was a wonderful summer festival that we will remember fondly for a long time to come. In many ways, it showed just how much our Neubeur Castle family can achieve when we come together and stick together.
We’re already looking forward to next year!

Castle family

A conversation between the generations, a champagne reception and dinner for the anniversary year groups, a fire brigade morning get-together, honours presented in the chapel and at the ‘Jüngling’, a play in the ‘Alte Schlossturnhalle’, coffee and cake with stalls run by the pupils. And finally, the opening of the summer festival evening with a buffet, Flötzinger Märzen beer and the Hinterberger Musikanten, who kept the atmosphere lively right until the end.

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