Wilhelmstein Castle

Count Wilhelm IV of Jülich had Burg Wilhelmstein built between 1265 and 1269 on the foundations of an older border fortress. The first written mention occurred in 1344. The complex served as the administrative seat of the Jülich office of Wilhelmstein, which included numerous localities. In the late 17th century, specifically 1690/1691, the castle suffered destruction by French troops. In the early 18th century, during the War of the Spanish Succession, it was again damaged. After changing owners, the castle was nationalized by the French administration in the early 19th century and sold to private individuals. In 1825, it passed to the von Coels von der Brügghen family through forced auction, whose descendants sold the property in 1950 to the current owners, the Grafen family.