Laer Manor

Haus Laer, a moated castle in the southeast of Bochum at Höfestraße 45, is one of the oldest noble residences in the Ruhr area. As early as 890, the Lahari (pasture) farm is mentioned in the register of the Werden Abbey. The buildings of the manor were erected in 940. Its main house with half-timbered walls rests on an oak pile foundation from the 10th century.

When the complex belonged to the dominion of the Counts of Mark, Heinrich von Vittinghoven received it as a fief around 1243. From 1480, it belonged to the von Leithen family; later it passed into the possession of the Frielinghaus family.

There is no permanent gastronomy, but events are held occasionally. The house houses a stately collection of documents, the Ruhr Area Archive of Haus Laer. The house has a remarkable historical cemetery.

The moat of Haus Laer is fed by the "Isabella" adit, which runs under the area of the neighboring Opel Plant I. Since this adit and its underground tributaries may be filled in as part of the upgrading of the plant site for subsequent use, the water law and actual effects have not yet been clarified.