Lohe Castle (Westönnen)

The first documented mention of Haus Lohe dates back to 1281, when it belonged to the Cäcilienkloster in Cologne. In 1350, Knight Heinrich Wulf von Lüdinghausen acquired the property, which remained in his family's possession until around 1700. Through marriage, it then passed to the von Wrede family. In 1738, the Erbsälzer family von Papen purchased the estate. The noble residence acquired its current Neo-Gothic form through extensions in 1855 and 1885, carried out under the direction of the Cologne Cathedral master builder Vinzenz Statz. A chapel and a tower were added to the baroque part of the building, resulting in a three-winged structure of approximately 700 square meters. The Ducal Nassau Garden Director Thelemann from Biebrich designed the surrounding park. After its completion, Lohe Castle was considered the youngest moated castle of its time.