Löwensburg Castle

Above the Eifel community of Monreal, in the Elzbach valley, on a 350 m above sea level mountain spur, rise the neighboring ruins of Löwenburg, also known as Monreal Castle, and Philippsburg. The latter is popularly known as "das Rech" (the Roe Deer).

The spur castle was first mentioned in a document in 1229. Its builder is considered to be Count Hermann III of Virneburg, who, piquantly, built the complex on the land of his brother Philipp after a partition agreement. The resulting fraternal dispute was later settled in a compromise, and Philipp ceded his rights to the region to his brother.

The Philippsburg was also built in the 13th century. It owes its nickname "Rech" to its smaller size in relation to the "Löwe" (Lion). Regarding its existence, there are two different theories: The first assumes that the Philippsburg was merely built as an outwork or outer defense of the Löwenburg, but according to local tradition, the castle is said to have been Philipp's "answer" to his brother's unauthorized construction of the Löwenburg.

Although Monreal was located in the territory of Trier, the Counts of Virneburg always maintained good relations with the Electorate of Cologne. Their main goal was the acquisition of ecclesiastical benefices for the numerous offspring of the Virneburg counts. Thus, Heinrich II of Virneburg, born in 1244 or 1246, first became provost of the cathedral in Cologne. In 1306, at around 60 years of age, he was elected Archbishop of Cologne and remained so for 26 years. He was tasked with consolidating the Archdiocese of Cologne in the decades after the Battle of Worringen in 1288 and the associated loss of power.

From the good relations of the Virneburgers with Cologne and the fact that Heinrich II of Virneburg carried out constant raids on the nearby Trierian city of Mayen, a feud ignited between the Archbishop of Trier and the Virneburgers. Through the mediation of the Archbishop of Cologne, the two parties agreed that Heinrich II should enfeoff Monreal Castle to Trier after the death of his father Robert III of Virneburg, which also happened. In Trier, the Virneburgers later also acquired ecclesiastical offices; in the 14th century alone, they provided six members of the cathedral chapter.

Under Robert IV of Virneburg, who was Lord of Monreal between 1384 and 1445, the complex was further expanded and served several times as a widow's residence for the count's family in the 14th and 15th centuries. At the beginning of the 16th century, Monreal had already replaced the count's family's ancestral castle in Virneburg as their main residence.

When the Virneburg lineage died out in the male line with the last Count Cuno in 1545, Heinrich von Leiningen followed as a vassal. But after 1555, the Elector of Trier did not re-grant the fief, but appointed his own bailiff.

The stately fortifications suffered heavy damage in 1632 during the futile attempt to defend the city against Swedish troops and were finally destroyed by French troops in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession. In 1815, the ruins came into Prussian state ownership as a result of secularization and remained there until the state castle administration (today: Directorate Castles, Palaces, Antiquities of the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate) became the owner of the main castle. From 1970 onwards, various structural safeguards were carried out there, so that the castle ruin is now freely accessible.