Castle of Born

Description of the castle
The present castle consists of the ruins of a classical rectangular former manor house with four corner towers and a separate location for castle and former castle farm. These castle originally consisted of three interconnected wings around a courtyard; a north wing consisting of a steward house and stables, a central wing with stables and barns and a south wing with a carriage house, a tithe barn and stables. The central wing was demolished in the 18th century and built a modern new building on this site in 1989. The castle, situated inside a moat, was destroyed by fire on August 28, 1930. It was built in Mosan Renaissance architectural style with stone window frames and marl bands as bands at the corners of the corner towers and the delineation of the floors.

History and owners
The first entry is the year 1150 when there was a medieval castle located on the site of the ruins and was owned by Gozewijn I Born, the earliest known Lord of Born. He sold the castle in 1154 by Hendrik van Leyen, prince-bishop of Liege and (perhaps?) Son of Henry I, Count of Limburg and Arlon. Then the castle owned by successive generations came "Van Valkenburg 'and' Van Salm. In 1309 took place at the castle of Born a pogrom place:. 110 Jews coming from Sittard and Susteren, and taken to the castle in protection by Jan van Valkenburg, were massacred by a mob, in which the castle was set on fire in 1400 Jan van Salm sold the castle of Duke William of Gulik.

In 1538 was the fortified house Born partly demolished. After a brief occupation by the family of Drimborn, the castle came back into the hands of Guliks. In 1647 sold Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count of Julich, the remnants of Leerode to Jan Arnold, a dig from the German Heinsberg. He leaves in 1666 the current castle as a runner lock building near the old castle. The last count of Leerode that inhabits the castle French Adam. He is also the last to enter the title of Imperial Count.

In 1813 Maximilian of Leerode, which until then the glorious duty was incumbent on his possessions, forced by the French to his possessions, including the castles Born and Grasbroek and sell at these castles situated watermill and windmill. This also meant the end of the glory Born and Maximilian then left for his Prussian family castle.

New owner was Matheus Louis Gilissen, an industrialist from Maastricht. The heirs sold Gilissen turn the goods to the landowner Henry Cramer, married to Elise Ransonnet. Their daughter was heiress Joanna Clementina Cramer, married to Jean Baptist Barbou the Roasting and later with the Belgian Count Amédé du Puis the Watremont. Her son John Barbou inherited Grasbroek castle with appurtenances and her son from the second marriage, Henri du Puis the Watremont, castle Born inherited with appurtenances. Henri died Grasbroek the castle in 1906 after which also fell to Jean Barbou. Etiënne his son inherited the castle and was the last occupant until it was destroyed by fire in August 1930.

Source: Wikipedia