Crottorf Castle

The origins of Crottorf Castle date back to the early 14th century, when a moated castle at this location was first documented. As early as 1261, the name Crottorf is associated with Knight Ludwig the Black. The complex was initially a fief of the Counts of Sayn and owned by the brothers Johann and Arnold von Selbach. Through maneuvers, the Knights of Selbach managed to free their property from feudal dependence. In 1424, Katharina von Wildenburg married Christian von Selbach zu Crottorf, whereby the Crottorf estate passed to the Selbach family as a dowry. Around 1550, Johann von Selbach, Marshal of the Duchy of Berg, had the complex converted into a moated castle. His daughter Katharina married Wilhelm von Hatzfeld zu Wildenburg in 1559, bringing the castle into the possession of the Hatzfeld-Wildenburg-Crottorf line. Sebastian I.