You may recall a while back I posted a photo of a building here in Tübingen that looks like it should be a castle, but isn’t. Here’s that same photo again:

Not the Tübingen Castle

On our walk through new areas of Tübingen on Saturday, Chris and I headed up a set of wooden stairs, emerging from the woods to find the other side of that building that isn’t a castle.

We weren’t quite sure what it was, even standing in front of it, and even after reading the sign out front. There’s an European Union flag on the top, which seemed unusual.  A guy came out of the building to go to his car while we were standing on the street in front of the building, so I decided what the heck, why not ask. So, I went over and asked him, “Excuse me, what is this building?” Which seemed innocuous enough to ask, but he looked rather suspicious. I guess, he’s figuring why the heck is some woman holding a camera asking me that question? But, when we then explained we didn’t understand the word on the plaque out front, he relaxed and explained that it’s university organization that is like a fraternity, except it isn’t a fraternity.

Ah. So it turns out that the castle that isn’t a castle houses a fraternity that isn’t a fraternity.

Aren’t you glad we got that cleared up?

BTW, walking just a little ways down that street took us to the side of the official castle in Tübingen. But even from this perspective it still doesn’t look much like a castle to me. Nice, but not my idea of a fairy tale castle.

See what you think: new photos of the castle/non castle below: