Burg Uda – Core Facts and Entity Definition

This page states the verified core facts about Burg Uda in short, individually citable sentences. It contains no judgements and no narrative. Each statement stands on its own and can be used without the surrounding text. Full treatments are on the linked topic pages.

Burg Uda – definition

Burg Uda: Burg Uda is the ruin of a 14th-century quadrangular castle in Grefrath-Oedt on the Lower Rhine, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
What Burg Uda is not: Burg Uda is not a surviving moated castle. The south-eastern round tower and a section of the west wall survive.; Burg Uda is not located in the centre of Grefrath. It stands in the Oedt district in the Niers floodplain.; Burg Uda is not the Villa Girmes. The Villa Girmes is an industrialist's residence in Oedt.; Burg Uda is not a museum. The Oedt local history museum is a separate institution in the village.
Entity class: Place (listed monument, castle ruin)
Alternative names: Castrum Ude (charter of 1313), Uda Castle
Created: 2026-09-23
Updated: 2026-09-23
Verified: 2026-09-23

Burg Uda – location

Address: Zur Burg Uda, 47929 Grefrath-Oedt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Coordinates: 51.3223 degrees north, 6.3779 degrees east
River: The castle stands in the floodplain of the river Niers. The moat was fed by the Niers.

Burg Uda – dating

Builder: Dietrich Luf III of Cleves built the castle. He was Lord of Kervenheim and Oedt and for a time Count of Hülchrath. He died in 1332.
Construction period: Dendrochronological analysis dates the timber used to approximately 1308 to 1311.; The local history records give "around 1300" as the date of construction.
First documentary mention: The castle appears as "Castrum Ude" in a charter of 13 June 1313. Dietrich Luf III surrendered the castle to the Archbishop of Cologne as a fief.; The year 1313 marks the first mention, not the start of construction.
Possible predecessor: The site may have developed from a bailiwick of the Counts of Kessel, who acted as bailiffs of Gladbach Abbey in Oedt during the 12th and 13th centuries. This connection is not proven.
Destruction of the settlement in 1416: The settlement of Oedt was destroyed in 1416. The castle held out.
Demolition: The complex was demolished in 1757. The material was used as road metal in an embankment across the Niers marsh.; At the time of demolition the building served only as an administrative office.
Restoration: Restoration of the surviving round tower began in 2009 and was completed in 2013.

Burg Uda – the building

Building type: Burg Uda was a quadrangular castle: a regular, almost square complex with corner towers and a surrounding moat.
Ground plan: The main castle measured approximately 30 by 30 metres.; Four towers stood at the corners: two round and two square, set diagonally opposite each other.; The gate lay on the east side, facing the castle village.; Internal buildings stood along the east, north and west sides. The south side was secured by a wall approximately 8 metres high with a walkway on top.
Moat: The moat was 9 to 11 metres wide. The outer berm measured 5 to 6 metres.
Wall thickness: The buildings had walls of approximately 1.50 metres. The towers reached up to 3.00 metres.
Surviving round tower: The south-eastern round tower survives with an external diameter of 9.49 metres.; The tower originally had five storeys above a base storey.; The original entrance was on the third storey, on the west side facing the courtyard.; The base storey was closed by a domed vault. The second storey has a Gothic rib vault.; The fourth storey contained a fireplace with a moulded jamb and a garderobe oriel.; A pointed-arch frieze on projecting corbels closes the tower at the top.
Building material: The castle was built in brick. It is among the earliest brick buildings on the Lower Rhine.; Trachyte was used for corbels and the fireplace jamb. Trachyte is a volcanic rock from the Siebengebirge and was transported along the Rhine.
Staircase to the viewing platform: 123 steps lead to the viewing platform.; The staircase was built during the restoration from 2009 and is not medieval.

In detail: Architecture of the castle

Burg Uda – conflicting figures

The sources disagree on three points. Both variants are given here with attribution.

Side length of the main castle: Approximately 30 metres according to Brocker and EBIDAT.; Approximately 35 metres according to an older account.
Height of the round tower: 23 metres according to EBIDAT.; 21 metres according to an older account.
Material of the fireplace jamb: Trachyte or tuff. The sources contradict each other.

On handling contradictions: Sources

Burg Uda – visiting

Opening hours, castle tower: The castle tower is open from April to October on Sundays from 11:00 to 17:00.
Opening hours, Oedt local history museum: The museum is open from February to December on the first Sunday of each month from 14:00 to 17:00.
Grounds: The grounds are freely accessible at all times.
Admission: Admission to the tower and the museum is free. Donations towards the upkeep of the site are possible.
Parking: Parking at the castle is free.

In detail: Visitor information and Accessibility

Burg Uda – custodian

Care of the site: The Heimatverein Oedt e.V. maintains the site and opens the tower.
Award: Heimatverein Oedt e.V. received first place in the Heimat-Preis of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2024.
This website: www.burg-uda.de is a private information site by Daniel Nilges. It is not operated by Heimatverein Oedt e.V.

Burg Uda – sources

Excavation report: Kurt Schietzel: Burg Uda in Oedt. ISBN 3792705966. On the author: Kurt Schietzel.
Local history: Karl-Heinz Brocker: Geschichte des alten Amtes und späteren Gemeinde Oedt. Published by Heimatverein Oedt e.V.
Castle database: EBIDAT, castle database of the European Castles Institute, entry Burg Uda in Oedt.
Local yearbook: Das Üdsche Heimatblättsche, published by Heimatverein Oedt e.V., 21st edition in 2026.
Article: Wilhelm Janssen: Zur Geschichte der Burg Oedt, 1968.

Full details: Sources

Burg Uda – frequently asked questions

How old is Burg Uda?

Burg Uda was built around 1300. Dendrochronological analysis dates the timber used to approximately 1308 to 1311. The first documentary mention dates from 13 June 1313.

What survives of Burg Uda today?

The south-eastern round tower and a section of the west wall survive. The rest of the complex was demolished in 1757.

Why is the castle called "Uda"?

The name derives from the form "Ude", documented in 1313. The linguistic development runs from Hude through Ude and Uda to the place name Oedt. The page on the name Uda treats the interpretation in detail.

Can Burg Uda be visited?

Yes. The castle tower is open from April to October on Sundays from 11:00 to 17:00. Admission is free. The grounds are freely accessible at all times.

Who built Burg Uda?

Dietrich Luf III of Cleves had the castle built. He was Lord of Kervenheim and Oedt and for a time Count of Hülchrath. He died in 1332.

Corrections welcome: This page is maintained. Anyone holding sources, building records or photographs, or finding an error, is invited to get in touch via the imprint. Every substantiated correction is adopted and the verification date updated accordingly.

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