Weißhaus Castle (Köln)

The Weißhaus is located in the Cologne district of Köln-Sülz, between Leybergstraße, Luxemburger Straße, Rennebergstraße, and the green and play area in the extension of Linzer Straße. Weißhausstraße, built after World War II, runs past the Weißhaus at some distance, as an extension of Innere Kanalstraße/Universitätsstraße.

The castle, surrounded by a moat formerly fed by the Duffesbach stream, is a two-story manor house with a stepped mansard roof, an octagonal tower with a Baroque dome on one of the narrow sides, which dates back to the predecessor building (1619), and a castle chapel from the 19th century.

The current complex is situated in a park-like garden enclosed by a massive wall. The property is privately owned and not freely accessible to the public. The wrought-iron grille facing Luxemburger Straße only allows a view of the front parts of the complex.

It is one of the many sights in the Cologne district of Lindenthal.

Early period and Middle Ages

The builders were the abbots of the Benedictine abbey of Sankt Pantaleon in Cologne, founded in 957. The "Weißhaus", located outside the gates of Cologne, served them as a summer residence. The Weißhaus is first mentioned in the 12th century. As a fortified house in the immediate vicinity of Cologne, it suffered greatly from the many warlike conflicts. Thus, just like the more important Fronhof Sülz, it was destroyed along with other surrounding houses in 1474 during the Neuss War, when Charles the Bold's army approached, for security reasons by the city of Cologne.

A later compensation claim by the Abbey of Sankt Pantaleon against Cologne was rejected by the City Council of Cologne. Nevertheless, the building was rebuilt after its destruction.

In 1613 / 1619, the Weißhaus was completely rebuilt. The tower from this construction is still preserved. From its first mention until secularization, the Weißhaus belonged to the parish of the "Herrlichkeit" Kriel.

Secularization

After the Napoleonic Wars, the buildings, lands, and assets of monasteries and bishoprics passed into state ownership. For the Weißhaus, referred to here for the first time as an estate, a possession of 300 Morgen of land is indicated for this period.

The Weißhaus Chapel is a Neo-Gothic, cross-rib vaulted chapel next to the castle tower.

In 1856, Johann Adam Jansen, then owner of the estate, commissioned the building councilor and architect Vincenz Statz from Cologne with the planning and construction management for the erection of a Gothic (Neo-Gothic) chapel on his property. According to designs by the Cologne conservator, painter, and lithographer Johann Anton Ramboux, the interior of the chapel was decorated with tempera paintings.

Tempera painting

The paintings depict the following scenes:

• Annunciation
• Visitation
• Nativity
• Presentation of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple
• Death, Assumption, and Coronation of Mary in the nave of the chapel
• The male and female family patrons were depicted in the chancel.

Stained glass

The windows, adorned with fired-on paintings, depict Mary's Magnificat based on drawings by Johann Anton Ramboux. They were produced in the studio of Johann Anton Friedrich Baudri in Cologne.

Consecration

The chapel was consecrated in 1857 by Cardinal Archbishop Johannes von Geissel in the presence of high-ranking guests of both spiritual and secular standing.