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Life stories 2025-02-18 16:07:08

Inside an abandoned castle owned by Titanic victims

Ramy Awad, an urban explorer living in New York City, set out to central France to document an abandoned 19th-century castle, which he claims was once home to victims of the Titanic disaster. 

The result? is a Tiktok video that has already garnered more than 10.2 million views in which Awad gives viewers a tour inside the castle, which features fully furnished rooms with vintage rugs and furniture, wooden panels, built-in bookshelves, and bed covers.

Located in an undisclosed location in Nievre, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Awad said he has come to learn about its history from other urban explorers, known as the “urbex” community.

“This location was always on the top of my list,” Awad, 32, told The Post. “I was instantly in love with the rich history of the castle. I have been exploring abandoned places for eight years now and this was by far my favorite exploration.”

“While exploring I felt a rush of emotions knowing the rich history of this castle and seeing it in such an abandoned state,” he added.

BuBui-in 1868, Norwegian businessman Engelhart Cornelius Østby saw interest in the renaissance-revival style period estate and purchased it in 1898, according to Awad.

Østby was a first -  on the Titanic ship, and was accompanied by his daughter, Helene, when he died in the sinking on April 15, 1912. Helene survived by boarding one of the lifeboats.

He had lived in the castle with his wife, Lizzy, and their five children until the late 1900s, Awad claims. Østby’s wife died in 1899, at the age of 45 — 13 years before the Titanic sank near Newfoundland in Canada.

Before Østby’s death, he was a successful jeweler in Oslo. In 1866, while studying to become a jeweler, his parents and one of his brothers emigrated to America. Three years later, in 1869, he followed them and traveled via New York to Providence, Rhode Island.

The castle has been “totally abandoned” for nearly two decades, since 2003, according to Awad, who claims the estate was last owned by an Indonesian family who neglected the property and stopped paying taxes.

“They own or have owned other properties in other countries such as Switzerland and Holland, which ended up being resold to recover their debts,” he said.

Awad explained that they are careful with releasing the location since the home has since been vandalized.

 

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