Weißhaus Castle (Köln)

The origins of Weißhaus date back to the 12th century, when it was first mentioned in documents. Built by the abbots of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Pantaleon, it functioned as a fortified house outside the city walls of Cologne. The castle was repeatedly affected by warlike conflicts. During the Neuss War of 1474, it was destroyed by the city of Cologne for security reasons but was later rebuilt. In 1613 or 1619, a reconstruction took place, from which the current tower is still preserved. Until the secularization, Weißhaus was assigned to the Kriel parish. After the Napoleonic Wars and secularization, the property, described at the time as an estate with 300 acres of land, passed into state ownership.