Müllenark Castle

The origins of Müllenark date back to the 14th century, when it was still a village with a parish church. The noble family of Molenark, which was among the influential families in the Duchy of Jülich during the Middle Ages, is closely associated with the castle. Heinrich I von Müllenark served as Archbishop of Cologne from 1225 to 1238. The castle was the scene of military conflicts, including a siege by Count Wilhelm IV of Jülich in 1234. Later, in 1249, Mathilde von Molenark, a niece of the Archbishops of Cologne, married Walram von Jülich. This led to a temporary occupation of the castle by the Jülich family, who eventually had to return it to the rightful owner, Konrad von Molenark. In the 14th century, the feudal lordship shifted from Cologne to Jülich. After the extinction of the Banritzer von Müllenark in the 15th century, the estate was divided and later came into the possession of Dietrich von Hanxler through marriage. Gerhard von Hanxler, his son, shaped the castle in the 16th century through structural alterations, including the still-preserved battery tower with its brick walls.