Castle Ropperhausen

Castle Ropperhausen stands near Großropperhausen in the municipality of Frielendorf, Germany; it was erected in the Middle Ages by local German noble families. Early connections point to the Herren von Heimbach as likely builders, a family that in the 1200s held their seat at Heimburg and also controlled the castle and the local court at Ropperhausen, although the circumstances of how they obtained Ropperhausen are not recorded. The von Gilsa family also appears in the record from the same era, documented in 1232 as landholders in the place then called Raporgehusen.

In 1354 Werner von Gilsa bought the share of the local court and village that had belonged to Ludwig von Heimbach, and from that point members of the von Gilsa line acted as lords of the castle and of the court. The von Gilsa family retained that position through the later medieval and early modern centuries and continued as principal owners until 1699. That year Philipp Wilhelm and Georg Christoph von Gilsa sold three quarters of the castle and its associated court rights to Hans Ludwig II von Baumbach, who lived from 1664 to 1734. A remaining quarter was transferred to the von Baumbach estate in 1719 when Johann Ludwig von Gilsa sold his share.

From 1711 into the 1720s Hans Ludwig von Baumbach carried out renewal and reinforcement work on the manor and estate facilities located in the southeast part of the village. After these estate improvements the older castle ceased to be used as the principal residence, was partly taken down, and entered a long phase of decay. The von Baumbach family maintained their patrimonial jurisdiction over Ropperhausen until 1814. The later manor house known as Schloss Großropperhausen was completed in 1832.