Provincial castle of the Archbishops of Cologne

After the lost Battle of Worringen in 1288, Kempen was very important for the Electorate of Cologne as a bulwark against Jülich and Brabant.
As a provincial castle, Kempen fulfilled the same functions as the Electorate of Cologne's fortifications in Linn, Zülpich, Lechenich, Hülchrath, Uda and Zons.