A grand neo-baroque German residence perched atop the left bank of the Rhine River, it stands uniquely in history and brims with potential for the future.
Dating from early 20’sTh Century and commonly known as Schloss Ernich, the enormous mansion presides over approximately 46 acres in the town of Remagen, about 12 miles south of Bonn. For the past 20 years it has been owned by acclaimed film producer Ulrich Felsberg, whose silver screen credits include an award-winning film. Bend it like Beckham. (2002) and the Oscar-nominated documentary Buena Vista Social Club (1999).
Ernst von Ehne, one of the leading architects of his time, designed the symmetrical structure, which was completed in 1908 as the summer residence of Cologne industrialist Arnold von Guillaume. The estate also includes a gatehouse for security, a large carriage house, and a studio for creative activities.
Formal reception rooms feature original and restored architectural details.
Tobias Vollmer for Sotheby’s International Realty
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For a few years after World War I, the 40-room residence was occupied by the US Army, before being converted into a luxurious boutique hotel and restaurant. The French government acquired the Escalas in the late 1940s—while it was once again temporarily occupied by American troops during World War II—and it began its nearly 50-year run in 1955 as the residence of the French ambassador. Estate from the French government in 2007. Proportional Residence and recently offered it for sale at Sotheby’s International Realty for €19.5 million—about $23 million—with Harold Castor.
Although plans to convert the property into a hotel complex never came to fruition, marketing materials indicate that building rights have been granted to increase the gross square footage on the property to approximately 23,000 square meters – a total of 275,000 square feet. Alternatively, it could be maintained as a single-family home with easy access to Bonn, Cologne and Frankfurt.
Dense forests in the rolling area ensure complete privacy.
Tobias Vollmer for Sotheby’s International Realty
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At the heart of the more than 18,000-square-foot house, which has 10 bedrooms, is a spacious reception gallery with elaborate plaster detailing, massive herringbone-pattern floorboards, and a stone fireplace, just one of many in the three-story house. Four Corinthian columns and a quarter-sculptured planter focus on views of the grassy gardens towards the river.
Renowned landscape architect Albert Brodersen, who served as Berlin’s city garden director, installed the original three-tiered gardens, including irrigation hydrants that draw water from the estate’s own spring.
Click here for more photos of the German estate near Bonn.
Tobias Vollmer for Sotheby’s International Realty
The authors
Mark David
