Laufenburg Castle [Castles+Palaces]

The Laufenburg is a hilltop castle near Langerwehe in the Düren district of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on a hill that rises 217 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Sührbach, within the private forest of the Prym family, between the Langerwehe districts of Heistern and Merode. To the east, immediately adjacent are the Erbswald and the Meroder Wald, which were formerly part of the County of Merode. It can be reached by car from the Heisterner side.

The castle was founded in the 12th century by the Limburgers as a knight's castle to secure their territory. It included the village to Wehe, later called Langerwehe, as well as arable land, meadows, and forest. In 1359, the area fell to Jülich, and the castle lost its military significance. Since the 13th century, the castle had been in the possession of the Lords of Louvenburg. By the mid-15th century, the family von Reuschenberg acquired the fortress through inheritance. Over time, the noble owners changed until the last lady married the banker Eduard Rossbach in 1841. In 1881, the castle was sold to the Düren industrial family Hoesch, and in 1913 to the Stolberg manufacturer Prym. After the destruction caused by World War II, reconstruction began in 1950. Restoration and modernization followed in 1963. The castle was converted and renovated in 1985. The castle complex, measuring 38×24 meters and built of rubble stone masonry, is owned by the Prym family and is operated as a manor and restaurant under lease.

*Text taken from wikipedia

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