Haus Kemnade

Haus Kemnade is a moated water castle in the Ruhr valley near Hattingen. It stands on a small island formed by the river’s old and new courses. The name comes from the medieval word for a heated room, showing its early distinction from farmhouses. The castle’s owners changed many times over centuries. The von Dücker family held it from the 13th century, followed by the von der Recke and then the von Syberg line. After a fire in 1589 it was rebuilt and enlarged, and in the late 18th century a farmyard was added. Since 1921 the city of Bochum has owned the estate. Visitors enter across a stone bridge into the courtyard. The main house is built of local Ruhr sandstone with a round tower at one corner. Inside, a late Gothic chapel and a grand hall with tapestries and a carved Renaissance fireplace survive. Outside, chestnut-lined earthworks protect against floods, and nearby meadows lead to the old river arm and the Kemnader Lake.