Born a Count, his ancestral home was Hemmersbach, a moated castle in Horrem (Kerpen, Germany). First built in 980, it was granted to Franz Adolph Berghe von Trips in 1751 because he was descended from the family which had owned it from 1326-1621. Von Trips lived there with his mother, who moved out after his death. Today, Hemmersbach is rented out to businesses for meetings, seminars, and workshops.