Bamenohl Castle

The origins of Haus Bamenohl stretch far back. A "huyss zu Babenole" was first documented in 1379, when Heydenrich van Heyen and his brothers swore fealty to the Archbishop of Cologne and declared the property an open house. A chapel already existed in 1362. In 1395, the then owners opened their castle to Count Palatine Ruprecht II. Around 1433, the von Plettenberg family first came into possession of Bamenohl. In the 16th century, the property was divided into a Lower and an Upper House. Bernhard Vogt von Elspe zu Borghausen inherited the other half in 1580 and moved his residence here. An addition, today's east wing, was built in 1647 by Adam Vogt von Elspe, even during the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War. In 1781, Moritz Georg Vogt von Elspe acquired the Upper House, thus uniting the two parts. In the winter of 1784, the buildings of Oberbamenohl were demolished. Through marriage, the castle returned to the possession of the von Plettenberg family in 1778.