Haus Broich, Manor estate in Willich, Germany

Haus Broich is a manor house in Willich whose present main building, a small castle-like house with a large tower, was built in 1898 to plans by Cologne architect Theodor Roß. The economic buildings were rebuilt around 1900 as a four-sided courtyard (Vierkanthof). Since 2018 the property has been leased to the private Carpe Diem Haus Broich school, which runs a boarding school there.

Haus Broich was first mentioned in 1247 as the property of Adolf de Broich. After many changes of owner, including the von der Brügghen family, it was sold in 1694 as a free noble allodial knight's seat. After a sale in 1865 the estate stood empty and decayed; a fire largely destroyed the outer bailey. In 1895 a Cologne industrialist bought it, had the manor house demolished and in 1898 built the present small palace to plans by Cologne architect Theodor Roß.

The name comes from the Broich family who were long associated with the estate. You can still see how the different buildings are arranged around a central courtyard, reflecting the old structure of a working agricultural property.

The manor is now home to a private boarding school and is not open to the public for tours. Visitors can view the exterior facade and courtyard from outside, which gives a sense of the historical structure.

From 2006 to 2021, the estate served as one of two locations for the North Rhine-Westphalia State Police Mounted Squad. This shows how the historical property was repurposed for completely different uses in the 21st century.