Castle ruins of Burg Altendorf

In the south-east of the city, near the border with the neighbouring towns of Bochum and Hattingen, there is a romantic castle ruin in the Burgaltendorf district with the best preserved residential tower in NRW. It is presumed to have been built in the second half of the 12th century.

The complex consists of an outer bailey and a keep with well preserved surrounding walls. Both parts were once surrounded by a moat. The outer bailey is in the shape of an irregular quadrant. The rest of the corner towers still exist at different heights. The northern tower has been integrated into the fireside lounge of the castle restaurant. The remains of an service building with a well are also in the outer bailey.

A bridge leads to the residential tower on which there is 22 metre high viewing platform. The thickness of the walls ranges from three metres at the base to one metre at the battlements. A stepped tower was added on the north side of the residential tower. It was originally designed in a semi-circular shape, but was later changed to a hexagon after rebuilding during the Renaissance. You can reach the upper storeys via this stairway tower.

A suspended ceiling between the dungeon and the ground floor is all that remains of the last five floors. Only a few traces remain of the earlier cross vaults and the eight sided ribbed vault. Only the arch stone, and a few elements of this cross vault (with stonemason signs) still exist in a niche on the ground floor.

The fireplaces on each floor are easily recognisable. The Gothic latch windows, which replaced the romanesque windows during reconstruction around 1400, still exist with their seating niches. One peculiarity of the castle is its well preserved historical toilet facility on the first floor. The original occupants of this particular throne, the Lords of Altendorf, were in the service of the Essen Princess-Abbess. At the end of the 14th century, the abbey became a possession of a branch of the Vittinghoff-Schnell family through marriage.

Around 1760, the tower stopped being used as a residence and went into disrepair. The abbey provided valuable building blocks for more than 100 years. The first structural securing of the tower took place in 1900. An extensive renovation was carried out between 1962 and 1967, which brought the abbey into its current condition. Repairs necessary due to erosion, pigeon droppings and vandalism were carried out between 2001 and 2005.

The abbey can be visited in summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 5 pm. Tours can be arranged with the Heimat- und Burgverein Burgaltendorf (Burgenaltdorf Home and Castle Association). During the summer months, a series of events entitled 'Words and Sounds in the Tower' (Texte & Töne im Turm) are held in the tower. 70 visitors can listen to literary and musical performances here. Every two years the Burgenaltdorf associations put on the 'Burg Fest' with performances in the outer bailey, the keep and in the moat.

Further information / Tours:
Heimat- und Burgverein Essen-Burgaltendorf e.V.
Mühlenweg 33 c
45289 Essen
Tel.: +49 / (0) 201-571531
Fax: +49 / (0)3222-1273133
E-Mail: bonnekamp.dieter@arcor.de