Müddersheim Castle

The earliest mention of Müddersheim Castle dates back to 1057, when Archbishop Anno of Cologne granted the Polish Queen Richeza, a granddaughter of Emperor Otto II, the usufruct. Richeza had been forced to leave Poland after the death of her husband King Mieszko II. After her death, the castle passed to St. Kunibert Abbey in Cologne. Historically, the lordship of Müddersheim never belonged to the Duchy of Jülich but was a subordinate lordship of Electoral Cologne. The Knights of Müddersheim were the first known feudal lords, documented from 1130. In the mid-14th century, the Lords of Schleiden took over the fief. In 1351, Johann von Schleiden sold the castle to Goedert von Aldenrode. Through marriage, the castle and lordship passed to the von Kinzweiler family in 1426. In the 15th and 16th centuries, ownership changed hands several times.