Ahrburg

The Ahrburg is a former moated castle on the eastern edge of Golzheim, a village in the Merzenich municipality of Düren district, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its earliest known owners were members of the Luschane family, with Arnold Luschane of Golzheim recorded in 1413. At that time the site was called the Luschenicher Hof after its owner. In 1571 the property passed to three brothers from the Ahr family—Alexander, Bertram and Otto—who came from Antweiler near Mechernich. From 1581 the name Ahrburg replaced the old one. The Golzheim mayor, von Herweg, owned the estate in the mid-18th century. In 1748 he built the still-standing manor house, a two-storey rectangular building with a mansard roof. After his time the von Kempis family became owners. Today the Ahrburg is farmed by the Stollenwerk family. Visitors find a well-preserved manor house set within the remains of its old moat and defensive walls. The 1748 building shows the simple elegance of its period, with symmetrical windows and a steep slate roof. The surrounding farmyard and orchards give a sense of the estate’s working life. The quiet lane and farm track lead straight to the entrance, where stone gateposts mark the former approach across the water defences.