Nothberg Castle

The earliest indications of a castle complex on the core castle's plateau may date back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Nothberg Castle was first mentioned in documents between 1334 and 1335 as “Huys te Berghe”. In 1361, Duke William II of Jülich enfeoffed Knight Edmund von Engelsdorf with the castle. By the end of the 14th century, the castle was in great need of repair, as evidenced by a mortgage agreement from 1398. In the 15th century, the core of the manor house was built in late Gothic style, and renovation and reconstruction work took place to transform the complex into a castle-like building. In 1543, the castle was severely damaged by imperial troops during the War of the Jülich Succession. In the mid-16th century, around 1555, major redesigns occurred, possibly under the direction of the ducal master builder Alessandro Pasqualini. Following the death of the last Palant in 1591 and during the Thirty Years' War, the complex began to decay. In 1646, imperial troops tore down the gallery to prevent its defensive capabilities. An earthquake in 1756 caused further significant damage, which was never fully repaired due to lack of funds.