Burg Endenich

Burg Endenich stands in the Bonn district of Endenich, a former medieval stronghold now reduced to its outer bailey. The site lies at the heart of Endenich beside the Endenicher Bach, once linked to the castle moat. The street running past the ruins still bears the old name Am Burggraben, though it was once called ‘Baachjass’. The single remaining building carries the number 18 on the street front. First mentioned in records around 1200, the castle belonged to local knights before passing to the von Huys family late in the 15th century. By 1619 it had become the property of the Cologne nobleman Engelhard von Weichs, whose son-in-law took control. The main castle was destroyed during the War of the Palatine Succession, after which it was rebuilt and later sold to Johann Heinrich von Lapp in 1690. The Lapp family enlarged and occupied the house until 1812, when it passed through several owners before the city of Bonn bought it in 1962. Today the former castle grounds include a school, a sports park and a public library branch housed in the manor. The street wing serves as a fire station and a meeting place for older residents. An ancient sweet chestnut more than 130 years old grows in the courtyard, its trunk over four metres around, and forms part of a protected natural monument. A local association keeps the site alive for local clubs and events.