“During the Middle Ages the entire castle looked very differently. No streets, almost no buildings, but dark woods and great lakes, swamps and damp meadows. Yet since there was a lot of money to be made from trading horses, many rich aristocrats built their castles here. However, they had to submit to the more powerful locals: the count of the march, the head of the powerful women’s convent in Essen and especially the archbishop of Cologne. Even as lord of a castle you had to serve them and pay your duties.”