Groß-Vernich Castle

Groß-Vernich Castle is the ruin of a moated castle in the Groß-Vernich district of the municipality of Weilerswist in the Euskirchen district.

The castle, originally designed in two parts, has been subject to unhindered decay since the 18th century. The name Vernich comes from the noble lords of Vernich, a collateral line of the House of Tomburg. Initially, there was a more significant old castle of the Vernich family south of the village of Groß-Vernich. In 1342, this castle was first mentioned when it was transferred by the Lord of Vernich to the Count of Jülich. Rebuilt by Johann Brent von Vernich in the mid-14th century, the castle was besieged by the people of Cologne in 1370 because Johann's son Reinhard was known as a robber knight. Under his son Goswin, also a robber knight, the castle was so severely damaged in 1460 that he had to rebuild it and make peace with Cologne. With the extinction of the Vernich family, the old castle fell into disrepair, and the associated manorial rights passed to the two castles Groß-Vernich and Klein-Vernich. In 1541, Daem von Orsbeck became the new feudal lord of the sub-lordship of Groß-Vernich, whose descendants attained high offices and dignities of the Duchy of Jülich and were elevated to barons. Johann Hugo von Orsbeck zu Vernich, the last heir, was born at the castle in 1634; after 1676, he was Elector and Archbishop of Trier. In 1711, his brother-in-law Wolf Ernst von Schmidtburg inherited the estate. His son sold the property to his cousin Karl-Kaspar von Metternich-Müllenark. After the Metternichs died out in 1754, the already ruinous castle was awarded to Baron Sigismund von Roth, who had been married to a Metternich. At this time, the sub-lordship was abolished, and the outer bailey burned down in 1810. At the end of the 19th century, Engelbert Fischenich acquired the castle ruin and the remaining land, whose descendants still own the area today.