Before us stands Schloss und Remise der ehemaligen Kommende Muffendorf a testament to centuries of history. This magnificent baroque palace wasn’t always so grand. It began as a Carolingian royal villa. A piece of that estate eventually found its way to the Cologne church. Archbishop Anno II then granted the land to the Michaelsberg Abbey.
Later Abbot Gottfried von Siegburg gave a large part of the property to the Teutonic Order in Ramersdorf. The Teutonic Order’s holdings grew considerably. So they sold Muffendorf to the large commandery in Cologne in 1304.
The 15th century brought a crisis. The commandery faced near extinction. Much of the estate including the main building had to be sold to the Brigittine convent of Marienforst in 1458. By 1496 the Teutonic Order regained full control.
Another decline happened in the 17th century. Sometimes there wasn’t even a resident commander. The buildings fell into disrepair. The commandery of Waldbreitbach managed the property.
In 1713 Damian Casimir von Clodt became the new commander. His successor Baron von Harff started building a new two-story baroque residence. Commander Karl Adolf von Greiffenklau expanded it further. A chapel and a servants’ house were also constructed.
During the French occupation 1794 to 1815 the commandery was secularized and became state property. It was then sold to a Cologne businessman who in turn sold it to Karl Joseph von Fürstenberg. Around 1860 Fürstenberg renovated the buildings in the neo-Gothic style.
Joseph Mayer bought the commandery at the end of 1898. He removed the neo-Gothic elements. He restored the baroque forms. Mayer married Pauline Elisabeth Pfeifer daughter of Cologne entrepreneur Valentin Pfeifer. Valentin participated in the purchase. He and his wife Hedwig spent summers there. Both couples are buried in Muffendorf near the old St Martin’s church.
In 1952 Belgium bought the commandery. They established their ambassador’s residence there. Renovations continued until 1954 under architect Wilhelm Denninger. When the government moved to Berlin the Belgian embassy relocated. The commandery stood vacant. After an unsuccessful attempt to sell it Belgium sold the property to a Cologne real estate developer in 2006. He converted the property into luxury apartments between 2007 and 2008. The historic buildings Schloss und Remise were renovated and divided into apartments. Two new residential buildings were constructed on the parkland. These new buildings housed another 24 apartments. They reflected the baroque style of the original structures. Today Schloss und Remise der ehemaligen Kommende Muffendorf stands as a unique blend of history and modern living.