Zievel Castle

When one sees Zievel Castle today, it is exactly as one would imagine a medieval knight's castle to look like. Unlike other local castles, the village of Zievel is not connected to the castle which protected it. The staff who served the noble families usually lived nearby, but here the castle stands in the middle of the landscape.

Zievel Castle is not only much older than other local stately homes and was not only a fiefdom, but also the country seat of high nobility. The very extensive estate used to be surrounded by a moat and separated into a fore-castle and main castle. The ground plan of the castle conforms to the construction carried out by the knight Schmeich von Lissingen.

Some alterations to the building were made during the 15th century, for instance the construction of the twin-tower gate. In 1825 the manor house, dating back to the 15th century, was replaced by the present baroque-style house. The castle was first mentioned in records in 1107, when it was the free property of the Earl of Limburg. In 1377, through the aristocrats von Daun, the Zievel estate, together with the villages of Lessenich and Rissdorf, passed into the hands of the knight Schmeich von Lissingen, who built the castle which is recognizable today. The 15th century saw a new change of owner, when the castle became the main residence of Baron Metternich from Metternich. When that lineage died out in the mid-17th century, the heirs divided the estate and erected a second manor house in 1661. In 1766 the castle was leased to the Krewel family, who then bought the property in 1820 and remain the owners today.

References:

• Kreis Euskirchen

Address

Burg Zievel 1, Mechernich, Germany

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)