Friedrich Ludolph von Westerholt-Gysenberg

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Arenfels Castle, aerial view

Friedrich Ludolf Gustav von und zu Westerholt-Gysenberg ( 1804 - 1869 ) was the founder of the Westerholt-Arenfels line through the purchase and renovation of Arenfels Castle , which he was able to do through the fortune of his wife Johanna Cornelia von Charlé. He commissioned the then cathedral master builder Ernst Friedrich Zwirner to transform Arenfels Castle into a neo-Gothic castle.

Arenfels Castle

In order to solve financial difficulties, the von der Leyen family , who had been in fief since 1670 ( Archbishop Karl Kaspar von der Leyen ) , sold Arenfels Castle to Count Friedrich Ludolf von Westerholt-Gysenberg in 1848 . He had the dilapidated buildings repaired from 1849 and then settled there with his wife Johanna Cornelia von Charlé. In 1849 he engaged the Cologne cathedral master builder Ernst Friedrich Zwirner for the construction work, who completely redesigned the complex in the neo-Gothic style based on English and medieval German models by 1855. He received the money for the redesign from his wife Johanna Cornelia von Charlé. The comprehensive change was actually not in the interests of the client, who initially only had the renovation of the Renaissance castle in mind. But Zwirner succeeded time and again in convincing the client of his plans for the extensive redesign.

The initially estimated costs of 30,000 thalers had grown to 135,000 thalers in the end. Although Arenfels Castle is counted among the outstanding examples of Rhenish neo-Gothic, a quote from Ludolf Friedrich von Westerholt-Gysenberg shows that Zwirner's building did not meet with unreserved approval: “It will be a shame about the irretrievably destroyed Renaissance castle! I only find some consolation that many art-pennants think the castle is beautiful. "

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Verbandsgemeinde Bad Hönningen: Arenfels Castle. Retrieved August 17, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Schloss-arenfels.com - The story. Retrieved on August 17, 2020 (German).
  3. ↑ The Rhenish Legend Trail: Bad Hönningen. In: Worlds of fairy tales and legends. JP Bachem Verlag, May 4, 2009, accessed on August 17, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Westerholt-Gysenberg, Friedrich Ludolph von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Founder of the Westerholt-Arenfels line
DATE OF BIRTH 1804
DATE OF DEATH 1869