Lissingen Castle

Lissingen Castle was first documented in 1212 as the property of the Knights of Liezingen. Originally a fief of Prüm Abbey, the complex was divided into a lower and an upper castle in 1559. Between 1661 and 1663, the lower castle underwent reconstruction under Ferdinand Zandt von Merl, with three medieval residential towers integrated into a palace-like manor house. In 1780, Josef Franz von Zandt zu Merl acquired the title of baron, making Lissingen a small autonomous territory that persisted until the end of the feudal era. Following the French Revolution and the Prussian annexation of the Eifel, the castle parts changed hands several times. United under one owner from 1913, Lissingen developed into an estate with its own electricity generation starting in 1906. During World War II, the castle served as accommodation and a command post. After the war, agriculture continued until both parts of the castle came into the possession of new private owners who undertook renovations.