Baesweiler Castle

The origins of Baesweiler Castle lie in a fortified manor that served as a Jülich fief and was built by the Lords of Baesweiler. After the extinction of this family, ownership changed hands multiple times. In the early 16th century, Johann von Randerath acquired the property. His younger son Jacob and his wife Anna von Schilling converted the manor into a moated castle in the 1560s, as evidenced by their combined coat of arms above the gate. Johann, the only son, achieved the conversion of the property into a common fief in 1567/68, allowing female family members to inherit. In 1578, he exchanged Baesweiler Castle for Horrig House. From 1608, with Johann von Randerath, who was enfeoffed with the castle in 1596, a decline of the family began, caused by wars and plundering, leading to high debts. After the death of Werner von Randerath in 1659, parts of the property had to be sold.