Through the years

The Karelshaff is situated on a hill between Colmar-Berg and Mertzig or Michelbouch. Built in 1817 by Karl Daumartin, the building originally served as a hunting lodge frequented by both local nobility and social elites. Beyond its role as a lodge, it was designed to accommodate sheep farming. The flocks roamed around the buildings to prevent vegetation and bushes from overgrowing the area.

To this day, the region remains largely isolated from major urban centers, surrounded by vast wooded areas—an ideal setting both for hunting and the privacy sought by princely guests. Notably, this hunting ground was located near the “Berg Castle,” now known as the Grand Ducal Castle of Colmar-Berg. In the late 19th century, the Karelshaff became the property of the Luxembourg Grand Ducal family shortly after Grand Duke Adolphe ascended the throne. Guillaume IV, heir to the Luxembourg grand duchy, settled in the current grand ducal castle and continued to use the Karelshaff as a hunting lodge.

A few years later, the Karelshaff was rented out, attracting interest from several parties. In 1906, the von Roesgen family signed a lease agreement with the grand ducal family.

In 1949, the grand ducal family sold the Karelshaff to Charles von Roesgen, who operated it as a farm. Thanks to their good relations with the grand ducal family, Charles von Roesgen and his family continued to supply foodstuffs to the castle for many years. Grand Duke Jean and his family often paid private visits to the farm, maintaining close ties with the von Roesgen family. Charles von Roesgen also served as mayor of Colmar-Berg from 1957 to 1970.

Upon Charles von Roesgen’s retirement, his son Franz von Roesgen took over the farm in 1957 alongside his wife Marianne Kayser. Their daughter, Alice von Roesgen, was born in 1959 and married Jean-Louis Colling in 1986. Neither was originally involved in agriculture: Alice worked as an office employee for an American company, while Jean-Louis was a banker in a Luxembourg bank. In 2000, when Franz von Roesgen retired, Alice and Jean-Louis Colling-von Roesgen took over the farm.

Since 2002, the Karelshaff has been managed according to organic farming principles. It is now recognized as an “organic demonstration farm” and collaborates with the IBLA (the Luxembourg Institute for Organic Agriculture Research and Advisory), providing land for research aimed at developing sustainable agriculture. The Karelshaff is also well known for the direct sale of organic beef and chicken. In 2020, their son Grégoire Colling, a former social educator, joined the farm, marking a new chapter in its history.

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