Villa Neven DuMont 1890

Until the 1970s the northern part of the „Von-Werner-Straße“ was dominated by the building complex of the industrialist and publisher August Libert Neven. Soon after the opening of the right-bank railway line in 1872, he acquired an extensive area north of Unkel old town.

Neven had a mansion built with two towers and a park area. A coach house, stables, service buildings and a guesthouse for staff and visitors were added later. When he took over the Cologne DuMont publishing house, he integrated the maiden name of his wife Christine DuMont into their family name and called himself Neven DuMont. The couple spent their free time here and felt at home in Unkel. Grateful and generous as they were, they donated a newly created hospital to the community: today’s senior citizens home „Christinenstift“. After his parents‘ death, their son Alfred Neven DuMont and daughter Elisabeth von Werner continued charitable support for Unkel in various ways. The street is named after Elisabeth von Werner.

After Elisabeth’s death in 1945 the mansion lost its importance for the Cologne family and after remaining empty for a long time, was pulled down in 1978. Until 1974 the staff- and guest house as well as the service buildings were used by the Unkel Cooperative Bank as premises for the Bank- and Raiffeisen-business. These premises were also pulled down.

The parking in front of the Peoples‘- and Raiffeisen bank is located on one part of the former great park.