Satzvey first appears in ancient chronicles in 1368, when Otto von Vey, then reeve to his
feudal lord, the Archbishop of Cologne, managed this estate. Otto’s son, Reinhard
followed in suite. It was however, Rheinard’s son-in-law Heinrich von Krauthausen who
from 1396 to 1406 built Satzvey Castle on an island in the midst of a small lake fed by the
Vey stream which flows through it.
In 1561 Heinrich Spies von Büllesheim bought the property including all feudal obligations.
In 1574, his son, Friedrich Wilhelm became first liege lord of Satzvey Castle. The castle
was then besieged from 1577 to 1581 by the troops of the Duke of Jülich until finally Spies
von Büllesheim gave his oath of allegiance both to the Archbishop of Cologne as well as
to the Duke of Jülich.
In 1737, Johann Spies von Büllesheim sold the castle for 39.000 Thalers to the von
Gymnich family whose last living member, Johanna Maria von und zu Gymnich died in
1825. It was her godchild, Max Felix Count Wolff Metternich zur Gracht who inherited the
von Gymnich territories. His son, Dietrich, lord of Satzvey since 1878 enlarged the castle
giving it the present appearance. His granddaughter Adeline married Count Franz Josef
Beissel von Gymnich, sen. and so, in 1944, the castle came into the family of the present
owner, Franz Josef Graf Beissel von Gymnich. Since 1981 he and his wife have been
organizing historic events and festivals and in so doing have brought back to life the vivid
history of this castle.
Historical steel pass of the castle
Countess and Count Beissel von Gymnich