Gillrath Castle
The castle Gillrath even Emondtshof called, was an extensive castle and knight's seat in the district Gillrath the city of Geilenkirchen in the Heinsberg district , which has almost disappeared entirely today.
| Gillrath Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alternative name (s): | Emondtshof / Gillrath House | |
| Creation time : | before 1476 | |
| Conservation status: | completely destroyed | |
| Place: | Gillrath | |
| Geographical location | 50 ° 58 '51.5 " N , 6 ° 3' 54.7" E | |
| Height: | 70 m above sea level NN | |
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location
The Emondtshof was located in the rupture area of the parish of Gillrath , south of today's federal road 56 , which as a paved road probably had the current course already in Roman times, and roughly in the middle between the actual village of Gillrath and the hamlet of Gillratherbruch to the west .
- Overview maps
Overview map of Gillrath
Gillrath in 1800 on a map by Jean Joseph Tranchot (the castle on the left at the edge of the picture)
Overview map of Gillrath with embedded location of Gillrath Castle (around 1800)
construction
The entire castle complex, surrounded by moats, consisted of three parts in its basic structure:
- Vorburg , consisting of the original Emondtshof and thus the oldest part of the complex.
- Main castle , consisting of the principal building built later.
- Burggarten
The current course of the Schleifweg represents the boundary between the outer bailey and the principal building, the main castle. A 24- foot (approximately 7 m) wide and 12 feet (approximately 3.50 m) long bridge led over the moat into the outer bailey . In addition to a residential building, the outer bailey contained the barn, stables and a large wooden and wagon shed. In addition, there was a horse mill, the millstones of which could be operated by horse power. The main castle, later built by Thomas von Nevelstein next to the Emondtshof, could be reached via a drawbridge. This led over the moat that separated the outer and main castle. To further secure the main castle, two square keep were built.
Probably the main entrance to the entire facility was from the south from the direction of Panneschopp . The places Grotenrath and Scherpenseel were subject to tenancy by the Emondtshof.
history
15th and 16th centuries - The von Nevelstein family
The Emondtshof was mentioned as early as 1476 when it fell to Steffen von Molenbach, known as Breyloe. In 1517 Thomas von Gronsfeld, known as Nevelstein, received the farm as a knight's fief by dividing the inheritance. In the 16th century, Duke Wilhelm V von Jülich issued an order defining the conditions at the Emondtshof in Geilraedt . The Emondtshof therefore included a house, courtyard, pond, ditch and garden with a total of approx. Four acres (equivalent to around 12,000 m², based on the Rhine morning). With the associated meadows, the estate reached a size of around eight acres (24,000 m²). Three generations of the von Nevelstein family lived on the Emondtshof. When the Junker Johann von Nievelstein died, his fortune was determined by the ducal councilors in Düsseldorf. The Emondshof and its associated lands were valued at 24,000 Reichstaler . Together with the feudal estates, the total value was 55,600 Rthlr. Since the Gillrath house was evidently a male fief, the estate could not be bequeathed to the female descendants. Thereupon an inheritance dispute over the legacies broke out, in part military led. It was not until 1621 that Johann von Obsinnich received the fiefdom of Haus Gillrath , after he married the heiress of Nevelstein and campaigned for the fief not to be viewed as a man's fief.
17th century - The Reboderath family
His nephew Wilhelm von Warrenburg took over the fief on August 1, 1645, after his death it fell to the von Reboderath family. After the death of Duke von Jülich in 1653, all fiefs were renewed, as was customary. On September 23, 1655, Dederich Bertram von Reboderath received a new loan from the House of Gillrath, which he wanted to sell again in 1659 in order to satisfy his creditors. However, this sale was not carried out, instead another fief that had been awarded to him was sold. On September 23, 1666, after the death of Dederichs Bertram von Reboderath, his son Johann Diederich von Reboderath took over the fiefdom. After his death in 1681 Johann Wilhelm von Reboderath received the fiefdom as guardian of the two underage children. Since the Gillrath family's financial situation continued to be poor, the Grothenrath tithe was sold. In the course of the 17th century, during the Reboderath era, the Gillrath House was divided into a Lower House Gillrath with various owners and an Upper House Gillrath , which remained in the possession of the von Reboderath family. In 1699, after the death of Johann Wilhelm von Reboderath, his niece Agnes Gabriele von Reboderath inherited the Upper House of Gillrath. The owner of the lower house at that time was Nicolaß Wattiau.
18th and 19th centuries - the decline of the Gillrath family
The decline of the Gillrath family from the 18th century onwards is not documented. In a cadastral map from 1846, the Emondtshof, unlike the smaller 'Gillrather Hof', is no longer listed by name. It can be assumed that the property no longer had any notable influence at that time. The name of today's grinding path, which runs south from the former castle complex, suggests that the complex was deliberately dragged and the building fabric was transported south along this path.
20th Century - Relics in Modern Times
At the beginning of the 20th century, according to eyewitness reports, a pond and a castle ruin should have been preserved. This also corresponds to the new cadastral recordings between 1891 and 1912. Relics of the old castle were also visible until the late 20th century, until they fell victim to the development of residential buildings. In the TK25 maps from 1936–1945, today's Schleifweg leads through the former castle grounds. Lake-like structures can only be seen on the west side of the path. There are also houses there today and only the names of the surrounding streets An der Burg , Zum Emondtshof , Schleifweg and Von-Bronsfeld-Straße are reminiscent of the former complex.
Various names of the complex can be found in historical documents; in addition to the name Emondtshof , the names Emondshof , Emondts Hof , Emonds Hof or Haus Gillrath are often found .
Coat of arms of the von Gronsfeld and von Nevelstein families
The von Nevelstein family carried on the von Gronsfeld family coat of arms . It consists of three black cakes on a gold or silver plate.
Coat of arms of the Gronsfeld family in gold
Coat of arms of the Gronsfeld family in silver
literature
- Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1959, pp. 60-64.
- Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1960, pp. 38-44.
- Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1961, pp. 18-24.
- Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1962, pp. 85-86.
Web links
credentials
- ↑ 102.07.10 Jülich, Mannkammerlehen No. 371 from the State Archive of North Rhine-Westphalia
- ↑ a b Heimatforscher knows the story of Gillrath Castle. In: Aachener Nachrichten of July 5, 2009.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1959, p. 64.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1959, p. 60.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1959, p. 62.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1961, p. 22.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1961, p. 23.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1963, p. 18.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1962, p. 20.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1962, p. 23.
- ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath. In: Local calendar of the Heinsberg district. 1959, p. 63.
- ↑ Coat of arms of the Gronsfeld family on Heraldique-europeene.org, No. 169.
- ^ Book of arms of the Westphalian nobility, p. 231, on genealogy.net