Library of Schloss Friedrichshof

The Schloss in Kronberg in Taunus above Frankfurt was built between 1889 and 1893 for the Dowager Kasierin Viktoria, the widow of the Emperor Friedrich III who reigned as German Kaiser for only 99 days in 1888.

Viktoria was the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and with Friedrich had been the hope of the German anti-Bismarck liberals.

She lived here until her death in 1901, the same year as her mother, on bad terms with her absolutist son Kaiser Wilhelm II.

If Friedrich had lived and he and Viktoria had instituted a liberal pro-British German Empire is one of the favourite "what if's" of modern history.