Gladbach Castle

The origins of the castle date back to 1102, when the Gladbach family was first mentioned. This family, related to the Counts of Jülich, held the castle as a fief. In 1373, the complex passed to Maria von Kronenburg through inheritance. After further changes of ownership, the moated castle and its associated lordship came into the possession of the Palant family. Their male line died out in Gladbach in 1725, and Franz Kaspar von Hillesheim became the successor. A major fire in 1688 led to a reconstruction of the main castle starting in 1715 on medieval foundations. This Baroque new building was a four-winged complex surrounding an elongated courtyard. In 1741, Franz Kaspar von Hillesheim began the construction of the equally four-winged outer bailey, which has a gatehouse on the south side. After the death of the Hillesheim family in 1786, the lordship was confiscated. The castle was sold again in 1806 and passed through the hands of the Coudenhove and Heider families.