Turmhaus

In the heart of Friesdorf, a quiet Bonn neighborhood, stands the Turmhaus. It whispers tales of centuries past. The Turmhaus, sometimes called Burg Friesdorf or Turmhof, isn’t a grand castle. It’s a Muthaus, a fortified house. It’s one of the oldest surviving residential buildings in the Rhineland. The Turmhaus is a link to the 12th or 13th century. Back then, the von Friesdorf family built it as a knightly estate. Over time, it passed into the hands of St. Michael’s Abbey in Siegburg. The Abbey then granted it as a fief to families like the von Belderbusch and von Schall. By 1830, inheritance brought the Turmhaus to Baroness von Boeselager. Tragedy struck during World War II. A bombing raid on December 21, 1944, heavily damaged the Turmhaus. Reconstruction altered its roof from a hipped to a tented style. Look closely at the building. You’ll see a blend of history and resilience. Its foundation and base are solid basalt. The walls are Trachyt rubble stones. These stones also form the garden wall, enclosing a small piece of the past. The Turmhaus’s layout is nearly square. The ground floor holds just two rooms and a staircase leading to the upper levels. The windows are a fascinating mix. Rectangular at the bottom, they curve into rounded arches at the top, each adorned with shutters. The Turmhaus isn’t just a building. It’s a survivor, a witness to changing times. It stands as a quiet reminder of Bonn’s rich and layered history.