Upper Castle Rheinbreitbach

The Obere Burg (Upper Castle) is a stately property in Rheinbreitbach, a local municipality in the Rhineland-Palatinate district of Neuwied, dating back to the 15th century. It is the seat of the municipal administration and is protected as a cultural monument. The Obere Burg was so named to distinguish it from the Untere Burg (Lower Castle) located further north.

The castle was initially a fief of the Cologne collegiate church of St. Maria ad Gradus, owned by a Junker von Lewendal. In 1655, according to a communication from Cologne, it passed into the ownership of Dr. Adolf Bequerer and, through his wife's marriage, fell to Peter von Geyr a few years later. From 1730, it belonged to the von Buschmann family, and from 1829 to Johann Wilhelm Schmitz of Cologne. Around this time, the northern wing was significantly extended. In 1907, the writer Rudolf Herzog acquired the Obere Burg, had it expanded in the Historicist style, and died there in 1943.

Towards the end of the Second World War, the building suffered damage, which was only partially repaired decades later. In the mid-1980s, the property was put up for sale by its then-owners. In 1990, the local municipality of Rheinbreitbach acquired the castle to establish its seat there and use it as a cultural center. By 1993, the building underwent extensive interior and exterior renovation. In 1992, the "Förderkreis Obere Burg" (Friends of the Obere Burg) was founded, which supports the organization of cultural events, including art exhibitions, concerts, and readings.