House Alst

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House Alst
Aerial view with outer bailey

House Alst is a former Burgmannshof in the Münsterland in the Alst peasantry near Horstmar in the Steinfurt / North Rhine-Westphalia district. It was built on the site of an older castle complex and was built in the Renaissance style.

location

Haus Alst is located in the triangle between the villages of Horstmar, Burgsteinfurt and Laer . The place Horstmar lies in a south-westerly direction and Laer in a south-easterly direction. Coming from the direction of Burgsteinfurt, the localities of Burgsteinfurt and Horstmar are connected by the L580 road. Shortly after leaving Burgsteinfurt, the L550 branches off from it, which then connects the villages of Burgsteinfurt and Laer. About halfway through both country roads you can turn to the Haus Alst property via various farm roads. Coming from the direction of Burgsteinfurt, the L580 branches off to the right at about Haus Alst in the direction of the village of Leer .

Owner story

House Alst is first mentioned in a document from 1217. Since it belonged to the Vreden Abbey , its owners changed frequently. In 1569 it became the property of the Lords of Westerholt , who gave it its current appearance in 1624.

From 1832 to 1843 it belonged to the family of the composer Maximilian-Friedrich von Droste zu Hülshoff , who died there. She sold Haus Alst to Wilderich Freiherr von Ketteler before Burghard Freiherr von Schorlemer-Alst , also known as the “Westphalian Farmer King” as the founder of the German farmers' association, became the owner of the facility in 1852.

Since 1935 Haus Alst has been owned by the Counts of Westerholt again .

Building history and description

Haus Alst is remarkable due to two rare characteristics: the still well-preserved ring wall and the “fat layer technique” of its walls, which is a typical feature of the Dutch Renaissance .

The manor house , surrounded by a moat, stands on a flat hill above a narrow stream, hidden under old trees. Coming from the long access avenue, you can see little of the building at first. It is largely hidden behind an almost eight meter high earth wall that lies behind the very deep moat . Both surrounded the previous castle complex in a pentagon and gave it protection.

In the south there is still a bridge as the only access over the wide moat. It is guarded by a gatehouse , which is to be seen as protection of the former drawbridge .

Of the current structure of the building, only the rubble stone substructure is still original. The upper floor with its neo-Gothic windows, like the blind loopholes, is an ingredient from around 1870.

The whole complex can be seen clearly from the passage. To the left is the outer bailey , on which two simple farm buildings from the last century stand today. In the past, in addition to the outer moat, they were completely surrounded by an inner moat that ran hard along the high earth wall. The two steep crane houses with their entry holes for pigeons look funny.

The main house is still in its own house pond, which is filled in on the north side. It shows its two-story front to the south. It is structured by eight windows each. Horizontal cornices made of sandstone create the connection between them. They used to go through the windows, as you can see at the top of the tower. All the windows had stone crosses. The main effect of the entire structure comes from the wall technology. Stripes of bright red bricks alternate with white-yellow sandstone layers. They stretch around the entire structure, including the towers, in repeatedly emphasized horizontal lines. Its appearance is reminiscent of a thick side of bacon, which is where the name "bacon layers" comes from. This colorful wall design is very rare in Westphalia , only the Merfelder Hof in Horstmar and Haus Hameren in nearby Billerbeck have the same system. The model seems to have been the town hall in Bocholt , which is almost the same age .

The “bacon layers” are common in Holland and Belgium , so that one would almost assume a Dutch architect. Another Dutch peculiarity can be seen: flat relief arches made of bricks with sandstone blocks sit above all windows. This decorative motif is also not at home in Westphalia. In contrast, the large, x-shaped iron anchors are quite common as wall decorations in this area. You have the task of stapling the ceiling joists of the interior in the outer wall. The “Specklage” chimneys with their round helmets also reveal Dutch influence.

On the north side there is an octagonal stair tower as the only connection between the floors . Its door, the main portal of the building, is a very rich example of the adornment of the Renaissance, while buildings were often decorated with such items.

Sons and daughters (selection)

literature

Web links

Commons : Haus Alst  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 52 ° 5 '35.8 "  N , 7 ° 20' 9.3"  E