Niederzier Castle

Niederzier Castle is a moated castle in Niederzier, Düren district, North Rhine-Westphalia.

A Jülich ministerial family, which in any case originated from the castle, has existed since the 13th century, first a Heinrich von Zier in 1226, a Cologne choirmaster Conrad von Cirne in 1269 and others. Whether the members of the von Zier family mentioned until the middle of the 15th century are related cannot be determined with certainty.

More precise information about the house is only known from the beginning of the 16th century. In 1526, Jakob and Maria Bock von Pattern sold their share of Niederzier house and farm to Arnold von Hochsteden and his wife Katharina Bock, her aunt. After his death during the storming of Düren in 1543, the widow sold Niederzier to Katharina Bock, née von Hatzfeld. The smaller older parts of the outer bailey probably also belong to the same period.

The castle, which was burned down by the French in 1674, whose manor house was rebuilt in 1698 and whose outer bailey in 1765, remained in the possession of the von Hochsteden family until the death of Countess Josina von Hochsteden in 1848, with whose father Count Ferdinand the male line had died out in 1793.

Upon division, Niederzier first briefly went to the Barons von Dalwigk and then by purchase to the Schmill family.

The municipality of Niederzier bought the castle in 1921. The castle was destroyed by the fighting on the Rur front on February 11, 1945. After the Second World War, it was rebuilt and in 1975 and 1976 the castle was expanded as an administrative seat.

Of the outer bailey, the south and east wings belong entirely to the younger building period, simple brick buildings that served economic purposes. Only the gate passage is somewhat more richly designed. The archway is crowned by a flat gable, whose cartouche shows the coat of arms of Ferdinand von Hochsteden and his wife Isabella von Bourscheidt with the year 1765. The building parts on the west wing of the outer bailey are the oldest building parts.

Niederzier Castle is a protected monument. Today it is the seat of the municipal administration.