Kronenburg Castle (Ruin)

Kronenburg is the ruin of a hilltop castle above the Kyll valley and the Kronenburger See in the Kronenburg district of the municipality of Dahlem in the Euskirchen district in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The castle town of Kronenburg owes its existence to its strategic location 560 meters above sea level above the Upper Kyll valley.

Kronenburg was first mentioned in 1277 in a document from the Imperial Abbey of Stablo-Malmedy. At this time, Kronenburg was ruled by the noble family of the Lords of Dollendorf. Briefly, from 1327, an independent Kronenburg line developed. When finally Knight Peter von Kronenburg died in 1414 without male heirs, Kronenburg became a secondary lordship of the County of Blankenheim-Manderscheid.

Under Charles V, Kronenburg fell under Spanish rule in 1555 due to its affiliation with the Duchy of Luxembourg until 1715. For this reason, the former Spanish island in the Eifel is still referred to today as the "Spanish Ländchen". At the beginning of the 17th century, Kronenburg was plagued by plague epidemics that lasted until 1680.

In 1794, Kronenburg was occupied by the French, under whose rule the town functioned as a cantonal capital in the Ourthe Département. Kronenburg remained a mayoralty even in the post-French period and at times also the seat of a notary. In the course of the redivision of Central Europe after Napoleon's defeat, Kronenburg initially came as an exclave to the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and only through exchange or a down payment in 1819 to Prussia.

The church tower of the parish church of St. Johann Baptist, also known as the "Johanniterkirche", simultaneously served as an additional defensive tower of the castle complex.

Between 1920 and 1925, William Tell plays were performed at the Kronenburg ruins by Kronenburg amateur actors.

In the middle of the 18th century, the castle fell into disrepair. The castle house was privately sold during the French period.