Lost in time, the Motte Kurtekotten stands as a silent witness to centuries past. This isn’t just a mound of earth. It’s a portal to Cologne’s medieval heart.
Motte Kurtekotten, a high medieval Turmhügelburg, or motte, resides in Cologne-Flittard. Today, a wide moat and the hill itself remain. Imagine knights and nobles once walking where we stand now.
The Motte Kurtekotten’s layout spans 90 meters north to south and 70 meters east to west. The hill, almost square, rises 3 to 4 meters above the 45.5-meter water level. Envision this area bustling with activity. The hill’s base covers roughly 240 square meters. The entire site, including slopes down to the water, encompasses 4085 square meters.
Centuries ago, the moat connected directly to the Mutzbach stream. This connection provided water and defense. The stream is about 45 meters east of here. The northern and western moat sections are about 16 meters wide. The southern and eastern stretches broaden to 21 to 24 meters. Picture this moat filled with water, a formidable barrier.
Interestingly, no historical records detail Motte Kurtekotten’s origins or owners. A manor, Hof Kurtekotten, likely emerged southwest of the motte after its abandonment. This farm existed until the 20th century.
In 1277, Johann von Thurn gifted the Hof Kurtekotten to the Prämonstratenserinnenkloster in Dünnwald. Another account claims Graf Adolf von Berg transferred the unused Motte to Johann vom Turm, also known as Kalmünten. The agreement included a repurchase clause. Adolf VI then sold the property to the Kloster in Dünnwald in 1333. The monastery owned the farm until its dissolution in 1803.
French soldiers plundered and burned the farm in 1795 during troop movements. Fire struck again in 1817. Kurtekotten became a French domain, incorporated into the Grafschaft Morsbroich. It then became the property of French Finance Minister Jean Antoine Michel Agar. Abraham Schaaffhausen acquired it in 1817/18. Ownership passed to the family bank after his death in 1824. In 1857, the von Diergardt family bought Kurtekotten.
In the late 20th century, Bayer AG acquired the land. They built sports facilities here. The Hofgut was demolished between 1970 and 1974. It briefly bordered the Kurtekotten special airfield, established in the 1950s. Hangars and parking spaces for small aircraft stood nearby. In 1976, the Knochenbergweg shifted. It curved west around the former farm site. A large tennis hall now occupies the Hof’s location.
Today, the RTHC Bayer Leverkusen’s tennis facilities border Motte Kurtekotten to the west. A quarry pond lies to the east. This area is now a protected natural monument. The hill is covered with oak trees. The Mutzbach, along its course from the A 3 to Leverkusen’s city limits, and the Motte form a protected landscape component.
So, as we stand here at Motte Kurtekotten, remember that you’re standing at a place where history whispers. It is a place of forgotten lords, and lost farms, turned into sports fields, quietly preserving Cologne’s rich past.