Clan Rising
Namedy Castle today

Germany · Restored

Namedy Castle

Burg Namedy

Namedy Castle (Burg Namedy) is a moated riverside castle in the Rhine valley near Namedy, Andernach, Germany. The present appearance dates from early 20th-century remodelling by the Hohenzollern owners; the site originates in a 14th-century late Gothic manor and was later transformed into a Baroque pleasure palace.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1909

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1909

What Namedy Castle looked like in its prime.

Long rectangular three- to four-storey building with a white plastered façade pierced by regular rectangular windows and a row of small dormers beneath a steep slate roof. A decorated central projection with a tall arched window and a baroque-shaped gable breaks the roofline. At each end a cylindrical corner tower rises above the main block: the left tower with multi-stage masonry and an ornate cupola, the right with a rounded slate cap. Grounds slope to a flat riverside lawn with wooded hills immediately behind.

Its story

The story of Namedy Castle.

Namedy began as a late Gothic moated castle of the mid-fourteenth century, built by the Husmanns, a patrician family from Andernach, Gerhardus dictus Husmann, who died in 1211, was the first lord of the court here. Later generations extended the buildings through the sixteenth century, until the male line died out in 1678 and the castle passed by marriage to the von Klepping family, who sold it in 1700.

The buyer, at 7,500 Reichstaler, was Johann Arnold von Solemacher, chancellor of the electorate of Trier, knighted by Emperor Charles VI in 1718 after appending to his name the labels and coat of arms of the ancient Husmann von Namedy family. The Solemachers made the castle a Baroque pleasure palace and inhabited it until 1794, when they fled the advancing French army occupying the left bank of the Rhine.

In 1909 Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen bought the castle and gave it its present look; it has remained in the possession of the Rhenish line of the Hohenzollern dynasty ever since.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1909.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Namedy Castle, including 1 interior: hall of mirrors (spiegelsaal). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Front approach across castle parkView from the EuroVelo riverside cyclewayMoat and bridge approachExterior detail of the left (older) round towerRight corner tower and terraceOriel window / projecting bay on the façadeHall of Mirrors (Spiegelsaal)Castle park looking toward the Eifel hills

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Whose castle

Clans who held Namedy Castle.

The families that held Namedy Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Husmann

    Built by the Husmann patrician family of Andernach in the 14th century and held until the male line's extinction in 1678.

  • Klepping

    Held by the von Klepping family by marriage, 1678–1700.

  • Solemacher

    Held by the von Solemacher family, 1700–1794, from chancellor Johann Arnold von Solemacher's purchase until they fled the French.

  • Hohenzollern

    Held by the Rhenish line of the Hohenzollerns since Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen bought it in 1909.

Questions about Namedy Castle

What is the history of Namedy Castle?

Namedy Castle began as a late Gothic moated castle in the mid-fourteenth century. It was built by the Husmann patrician family of Andernach and extended during the sixteenth century. After passing by marriage to the von Klepping family, it became a Baroque pleasure palace under Johann Arnold von Solemacher, before the Hohenzollerns gave it its present appearance in 1909.

What is inside Namedy Castle?

Namedy Castle contains the Hall of Mirrors, or Spiegelsaal. Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen added the hall in 1909, with two corner towers. During the First World War, Princess Joséphine used the Hall of Mirrors as a hospital; it was later restored.

Who owns Namedy Castle now?

Namedy Castle is privately owned by the Hohenzollern family. The Rhenish line of the Hohenzollern dynasty has held it since Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen bought it in 1909. The castle is also used as a venue for concerts, theatre performances, art exhibitions and other events.

Why was Namedy Castle built, and what was it used for?

Namedy Castle was built as a small late Gothic moated castle and noble court. The Solemacher family later transformed it into a Baroque pleasure palace, which they inhabited until 1794. In the twentieth century, the Hohenzollerns used the property as a family residence and developed it into a cultural centre in 1988.

Where is Namedy Castle?

Namedy Castle is in the Rhine valley, north of the village of Namedy in Andernach. It stands on the left side of the Rhine, with the first wooded hills of the Eifel highlands immediately behind it. The EuroVelo 15 cycleway runs beside the castle park.

When was Namedy Castle built?

Namedy Castle was built in the fourteenth century, in the late Gothic period. The original building was a small moated castle, and later generations extended it during the sixteenth century. Its present appearance dates from twentieth-century remodelling, particularly the work carried out after the Hohenzollern purchase in 1909.

Was Namedy Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Namedy Castle was attacked and plundered by Swedish troops in 1633 during the Thirty Years' War. The supplied history does not describe a formal siege or say that the castle fell during the attack. Later, French revolutionary troops occupied it in 1794 and used it as a hospital and powder magazine.

Which family or clan held Namedy Castle?

Namedy Castle was held by the Husmann family from its construction in the fourteenth century until the male line became extinct in 1678. The von Klepping family held it by marriage from 1678 to 1700, followed by the von Solemacher family from 1700 to 1794. The Rhenish line of the Hohenzollerns has held it since 1909.

What did Namedy Castle look like in its prime?

Namedy Castle is a long, rectangular building with a white plastered façade, regular rectangular windows and small dormers beneath a steep slate roof. A decorated central projection has a tall arched window and Baroque-shaped gable, while cylindrical corner towers rise at both ends. The castle stands beside a moat, park and riverside lawn.

Is Namedy Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Namedy Castle is still standing and has been restored. It was badly damaged after French revolutionary troops used it as a hospital and powder magazine in 1794, with windows, stairs, floors and doors used as fuel. Renovation began in 1856, and further restoration followed the Hohenzollern ownership and the 1988 cultural-centre redevelopment.
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