Linn Castle

The origins of Burg Linn date back to the 12th century when Otto and Gerlachus von Lynn erected a residential and defensive tower made of tuff and pebbles. A motte already existed at this site around the year 1000. In 1188, Otto von Linn sold the Allodium de Linne to the Archbishop of Cologne, Philipp I von Heinsberg, but retained the castle as a fief. After returning from the Third Crusade, Otto used the proceeds from the sale to further expand the castle. Between 1195 and 1200, the first half of the planned hexagonal curtain wall was constructed. The completion of the entire wall dragged on until around 1250, with the second half being less precisely executed. By the end of the 13th century, the wall was raised by another three meters. In the 14th century, the castle developed into a territorial defensive structure of the County of Cleves, which also led to conflicts and an assault by combined troops. In the 15th century, specifically 1477, the castle was besieged during the Cologne Diocesan Feud. A year later, the old moat was filled in to construct an additional outer ring wall. During the Thirty Years' War, the space between the inner and outer castle walls was filled to make the castle more resistant to cannon fire. In the early 17th century, the castle and the town of Linn were combined into a unified fortification with five bastions. Despite a siege by Hesse-Kassel, during which the castle was captured and further expanded, most of the current structure still dates from the 13th century.