Burgbrohl Castle

The first documented mention of Burgbrohl occurred in the early 12th century, when a Volcoldus von Brule was named as a witness in the founding charter of Laach Monastery. It is presumed that the Lords of Brule already possessed a fortified court on the castle hill at this time, to control the trade routes in the valley. A castle is already mentioned in 1289. In 1338, the Lords of Brohl transferred their possessions, including the tower, gate, and outer bailey, to Margrave Wilhelm von Jülich as a fief. This feudal relationship lasted until the French reorganization in 1794. After the extinction of the Lords of Brohl in the 15th century, when Elsa von Brohl granted the Elector of Trier a right of access in 1471, lengthy inheritance disputes arose. It was not until around 1560 that the von Braunsberg family acquired the castle. At the end of the 17th century, Schloss Burgbrohl, like many other castles in the region, was destroyed by fire during a French retreat in 1689. A reconstruction followed in 1709/10, and the marriage of Kasper Franz von Bourscheidt to Isabella Countess von Schaesberg led to a period of prosperity.