Kühlseggen Castle is a remarkable exception to the rule: after a century of standing unoccupied and neglected, it was renovated and became the residence of its owner. Today the complex of buildings is based on the castle and moat of the middle ages. The remains of the gothic manor house can be recognized in the contemporary residential house. The working yard outside was not constructed until the 19th century, after the moat of the fore-castle had been filled in.
Since its last renovation the baroque manor house, based on its medieval predecessor, presents a fascinating image of a hybrid castle. Until the late 14th century the owners of Kühlseggen Castle changed frequently. During the course of the 15th century it attained the status of knight's castle. Up till 1836 the estate changed hand often and declined visibly. In 1836 the daughter of Baron von Zuydwyck inherited the estate and the castle continued to decay, uninhabited, until 1964. Robin, Baron von Eltz-Ruebenach has since restored the entire castle.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.