Schönau Castle

The origins of the area around Schönau date back to 1244, when Emperor Frederick II transferred the land to Heinrich von Aachen. He founded the von Schönau family, who later, after acquiring the Schönforst lordship in the 14th century, also adopted the name von Schönforst. From 1396, Schloss Schönau was a fief of the Duchy of Jülich and remained in a line of the von Schönau family before passing to the von Millendonk family around 1450, who owned it until 1695. Through marriage, the sub-lordship came to the von Blanche family. An attempt by Johann Gottfried von Blanche in the 18th century to regain imperial immediacy for the area around the castle failed and led to his imprisonment in 1759.