Germany · 14th century
House Böckum, alternatively Haus Böckum (in old sources also Buechen, Boichem or Boecum) is a medieval noble residence in the Duisburg district of Huckingen on the old Angerbach. Haus Böckum is the only preserved water castle in Duisburg's city area, even if their ditches are mostly dry today.
The name Böckum derives from Hof zu den Buchen (Hof zo den Buechen) and thus traces back to the beech forest that once extended as far as Böckum. Today, only the Duisburg city forest remains of it.
The moated castle was a fief of the Counts of Berg for centuries. The first documented mention dates back to 1345 in the form of the person Thyderich van den Boken, who can be identified as Dietrich von Rheinheim from the noble family of the Lords of Kalkum. Dietrich’s presumed daughter, Mechtild von Rheinheim, brought Böckum into the possession of Hermann von der Seldung (also known as Hermann von der Seeldonck or Hermann von Schlickum) through marriage. He served as Amtmann of Angermund from 1369 to 1391 and pledged Böckum in 1369 (then referred to as Hof zu den Buchen). This same Hermann still owned Böckum in 1402 when he wrote his will, shortly before his death. Böckum then passed to the Lords of Ulenbroich through his daughter.
In 1405, during the Kalkum Feuds, Böckum was destroyed by Cologne mercenaries. From at least 1440 until around 1760, the Lords of Buer owned Böckum. The first recorded owner from this family was Hermann von Buir, who was married to Agnes von Uhlenbroich. Around 1500, their son Heinrich was the owner, followed by his son Hermann around 1540. Until 1608, Hermann’s son Johann von Buir (also spelled von Bawyr) was in possession, succeeded in 1609 by his nephew, Johann Hermann von Bawyr, Lord of Boekem, Romlian, and Frankenberg (Aachen). In 1644, Johann Hermann’s son, Johann von Bawyr, who married the heiress Maria von Scheidt called Weschpfennig zu Heltorf, in 1636, took ownership. After Johann von Bawyr’s death in 1647, his son, Johann Friedrich von Bawyr, held Böckum until 1681.
Johann Friedrich's widow, Maria Freiin von Scheidt, married Baron Friedrich Christian von Spee in 1649 at Haus Böckum. In 1661, baron Johann Bertram von Scheidt called Weschpfennig reported to his son-in-law, Friedrich Christian von Spee, about plans for a new construction of Haus Böckum.
Text adapted from “House Böckum” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Haus Böckum ranks #7,845 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #692 of the 711 mapped in Germany. Founded 1345, it is older than 58% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 755 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. 14 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Duisburg, 8 km away. See how Germany compares in the castle statistics.
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