Burg Kempen, Kempen

Kempen Castle is a former provincial castle of the Archbishops of Cologne, which served to protect the territory of the Electorate of Cologne on its northwestern border. It stands in the northeastern city center of the Lower Rhine town of Kempen in the district of Viersen. Extensively altered in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style, it dates back to a medieval foundation and, along with Zülpich Castle, is considered the "best-preserved Electorate of Cologne castle of the 14th century" because no other complex in Electorate of Cologne can boast so much original building fabric from its early days. Until the invasion of the French in 1794, it was the residence of the Schultheißen for the town and district of Kempen, who was also the electoral waiter. The castle was even the seat of the high court for a time, and its towers served as a prison and dungeon.

In the 17th century, Ferdinand of Bavaria had the complex remodeled into a representative residence in the late Renaissance style, but a fire in the mid-19th century destroyed large parts of it. The subsequent reconstruction in the historicist style took away the castle-like character of the building, so that today it is once again referred to as a castle.

The building, which has been a listed building since September 26, 1983, is currently used by the Kempen City Archive and the Viersen District Archive as well as by the District Adult Education Center. Since June 2010, the office of the Kulturraum Niederrhein has also been a tenant of some office rooms. The interior of Kempen Castle can only be visited by prior arrangement, but its outdoor facilities are open to the public at all times.