Burg Lede, Water castle in Vilich, Germany
Burg Lede is a water castle in the Beuel district of Bonn, built from rubble stone, basalt, and trachyte, with a main castle section and a connected outer fortification. A moat encircles the entire complex, and a small bridge leads across it to the inner courtyard.
The building traces its origins to 1361, when Knight Johann Schillink von Vilich converted an older residential tower into a fortified structure while serving as court master for the Archbishop of Cologne. The complex was then thoroughly rebuilt in the early 20th century, which gave it the form it has today.
The name "Burg Lede" is relatively recent and was chosen to reflect the watery setting of the site. Visitors can still read the layout of the place clearly, with the main castle and the outer section separated by the moat that runs around the whole structure.
Entry to the inner courtyard goes over a small bridge crossing the moat, which is worth pausing on to take in the overall layout. Viewing the complex from the outside first, before crossing, helps to understand how the different parts relate to each other.
The name "Burg Lede" was not given by a medieval lord but by Director Weinlig of Dillingen, who bought the property in 1904 and had it reshaped from top to bottom in the spirit of late historicism. The result is one of the rare examples in the Rhineland of a medieval site that was almost entirely remodelled in that architectural style.
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