Germany. Ursula von der Leyen's “cottage”? No, although there is a connection

According to the authors of popular posts on platform X, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is the owner of a 12th-century castle in western Germany. “Mrs. von der Leyen's cottage. I wonder when the team will start the insulation and how they will attach the polystyrene with glue or dowels?” – he ironically said. Internet user in a post from July 21 (original spelling of posts). He attached a photo to the comment showing a fragment of the castle and a white brick tower. This post generated over 162 thousand views and was retweeted a thousand times. The day before, the same photo, in a slightly wider frame, was published by another user Xcommenting: “This is supposedly Mrs von der Leyen's house. How will she heat it?” His post has almost 90,000 views.

Because Ursula von der Leyen has many opponents – among others because of her pushing the Green Deal in the EU – information about the alleged castle she owns and the costs associated with its maintenance were widely commented on. “I wouldn't be surprised if she heated with electricity. She can afford it. The Green Deal is not a mechanism for introducing a community in poverty, but a new feudalism. The rich will live as before”; “As always. Taxes on you”; “With Russian gas. The Germans will take care of that” – Internet users answered spitefully to the question from the second post quoted above.

However, not everyone believed in the truth of the information. “It is a castle of the aristocratic von der Leyen family from which the commissioner comes. She is not its owner. Currently, it is a wine museum and archive” – he wrote one of the commenters.

Because that's exactly how it is, and the information from the posts quoted here is fake news.

The castle visible in the photos shared in Polish social media in recent days is the von der Leyen Castle, also known as Gondorf Castle. It is located in the town of Kobern-Gondorf in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Information about this building can be found on the website municipalities.

The monument situated on the Mosel River is surrounded by a moat. The complex consists of a three-story building, a bailey, a gate and a round tower, which currently serves as the bell tower of the Catholic parish church of St. John the Evangelist. What surprises many visitors is the national road 416 and the railway tracks that run… through the middle of the castle. The tracks were built in the 19th century, and the road in the 20th century. The description on the travel blog Women of Poland reads: “During the expansion of the railway line in 1876, the palace complex was cut into two parts. At the expense of the developer, the Prussian State Railways, a replacement building was built in a different location. Almost 100 years later, in 1971, the federal highway 416 was laid between the railway line and the Mosel. For this purpose, the ground-floor parts of the castle had to be opened or rebuilt. The main road now runs through the castle above the former castle courtyard.”

The first mention of it dates back to 1272, but it was probably built in the 12th century. The von der Leyen family lived there from 1560. This German aristocratic family made a fortune in silk production and trade, and also owned vineyards. Count Philipp von der Leyen restored part of his ancestors' castle in the 19th century, but after his death his son Erwein I sold complex, land and winery, which was located on the grounds of the castle in the municipality of Gondorf. Tourists can visit the exhibition of the State Archives and the Wine Museum there. The museum's offer includes guided tours and wine tasting.

So the fake news that the EC President is the owner of the castle was created by associating her name with the name of the building. The husband of the MEP – Heiko von der Leyen – is a doctor and entrepreneur. They got married in 1986. The family he comes from is the same that has lived in Gondorf Castle since the 16th century. Ursula von der Leyen's maiden name is Albrecht. The EC President is the daughter of German politician Ernst Albrecht. She has no connection with the castle in Kobern-Gondorf, which is currently a protected cultural monument listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. list of monuments of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

We asked the Kobern-Gondorf Office of Tourism and Culture whether the ownership of this building had changed in any way recently, but we did not receive a response by the time of publication.