Schloss Aprath

Schloss Aprath stands near the boundary between Wülfrath and Wuppertal in the lower Berg region. Its origins lie in a medieval fortified seat first inhabited in the High Middle Ages. In 1722 Johann Abraham Friedrich Freiherr von Syberg built a new manor house close to the old castle, which was later remodelled for the entrepreneur Carl Rumpff in the 19th century. Today only fragments remain: a small round tower and a curtain wall with battlements beside the Landesstraße 74. The site has passed through many hands since it was first recorded in 1150 as Abbatisrothe. Among its owners were the Knights of Aprath, the family of Quad von Rode, and the Sybergs, who acquired it in the 17th century. Ernst Theodor Gottlieb Dewiz bought the estate in 1810, followed by the industrialist Carl Rumpff, who turned it into a popular excursion destination. After a spell as a restaurant it fell into disrepair and was cleared in 1986. Visitors now see the restored remains of the medieval defences, converted into a private house after 1998. Close by lies the Aprather Mühle with its mill pond, once used as a boating lake for guests. On a nearby hilltop stands the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal, offering views across the countryside. The surrounding landscape still bears traces of the old estate’s park and gardens.