Schloss Stammheim

Schloss Stammheim once stood on the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne’s Stammheim district, close to the river’s bend. It first appeared in records in 1083, though its origins trace back to a royal estate from the end of the first millennium. The building served as the seat of a knightly family from 1136 until the last male heir died in the 17th century. By the late 18th century it became a Rococo residence, designed by Johann Georg Leydel under Friedrich Ferdinand von Scharffenstein. The castle gained prominence under the Fürstenberg family, who owned it from 1818 to 1925. Their tenure saw the house filled with artworks and a fine library. In 1928 the city of Cologne bought the estate, but wartime bombing in 1944 left only the outer walls standing. After the war, Bayer Leverkusen used part of the grounds for an old people’s home named after Ulrich Haberland, while the park remained open to the public. Today the park survives as a public green space and sculpture garden. A stone lion marks the start of the linden avenue that once led to the castle. The Ulrich-Haberland House, built on the site of former stables, has stood empty since 2001. The park itself, laid out in 1832 by Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe, remains protected and offers a quiet riverside setting for art and relaxation.