Blegge Castle

The origins of Haus Blegge stretch back. An earlier castle, which served to protect the population and was closely linked to the Paffrath church, fell into disrepair early on. Its function as a knight's seat passed to the later-built Haus Blech, which was documented as early as the 12th century. In the 15th century, after the extinction of the Lords of Blech, the estate came into the possession of the von Menzlingen family and later, through sale, to the Cologne Cathedral Chapter. During the Thirty Years' War, Haus Blegge was affected and stood abandoned in 1643. After inheritance disputes in the late 17th century, ownership changed hands several times until the Gladbach lime manufacturer Johann Jakob Bützler acquired the estate in 1752. He had the current Baroque residential building constructed, retaining the surrounding moat.