Schaesberg Castle
The Schaesberg Castle ( Dutch Kasteel Schaesberg ) is a ruined castle in Schaesberg between the towns of Landgraaf and Heerlen in the southeast of the Dutch province of Limburg . The ruins of the main building, surrounded by a moat , still stand from the original structure . The area around the castle is currently being transformed into a local recreation area.
history
Johann von Schaesberg built the original moated castle in the Renaissance style around 1570 . Presumably there was an agricultural property in the same place before , which was already in the possession of the Lords of Schaesberg .
His son Frederik was one of the richest noblemen in the former Heerlen. Philip II of Spain thanked him for his special services to the Spanish crown and the House of Habsburg by letting him freely dispose of the land and goods of the future independent rule of Schaesberg. In 1618 it became a hereditary rule of the Lords of Schaesberg. At that time, Schaesberg consisted of the Schlossburg and the courtyards Kackert, Leenhof, Scheyd and Palemig, which were added later.
The property only developed under his son, Baron Johan Frederik von Schaesberg. The sex was able to expand its possessions through lucrative marriages and also tackle the expansion of the aristocratic residence. Johan Frederik added a new wing, an imposing corner tower and an agricultural homestead to his grandfather's house around 1650. The buildings were designed in the style of the Maasland Renaissance , an architectural style that shaped Limburg and the Aachen region.
The later imperial counts of Schaesberg lived in the complex until the 18th century. They later moved in, but remained the owners of the property. After a temporary French occupation, the von Schaesberg family moved to Krickenbeck Castle in Nettetal near Venlo, which also belonged to the family, and to Tannheim , where they were compensated with lands belonging to the Benedictine Abbey of Ochsenhausen . The village of Schaesberg became an independent municipality.
The castle was falling into disrepair. After the Second World War , the castle was confiscated by the Dutch state because its owners, the Lords of Schaesberg, were German and fled when American troops arrived in September 1944. The outer bailey and the large corner tower fell victim to a fire in 1965. Since 1975 the remaining ruins have been protected from further decay. In 2005, the two connected islands of the manor house and outer bailey could still be seen within the moat . The foundations of the outer bailey can still be seen. Only two of the corner towers from the 17th century remain of the main building, as well as some remains of the wall of the building wing opposite. The window frames made of natural stone, which at Castle Pass arts Nieuwenhagen and the castle Hoensbroek similar, particularly noticeable. Basically, the whole system is reminiscent of a smaller version of Horst Castle in Gelsenkirchen, which was also built by Dutch builders .
Surroundings
Schaesberg Castle and the Lords of Schaesberg also influenced the area. For example, the Leenhof and the nearby church as well as other chapels and buildings go back to the Lords of Schaesberg, some of whom still shape the landscape between Landgraaf and Heerlen today.
literature
- Richard Klapheck : The art of architecture on the Lower Rhine . Volume 1. Art Association for the Rhineland and Westphalia, Düsseldorf 1916, pp. 278–283 (online) .
- Leo Peters : History of the sex from Schaesberg to mediatization. A contribution to the exploration of the inter-territorial ties of the Rhine-Maasland nobility . Matussek, Nettetal 1990, ISBN 3-920743-19-9 .
Web links
- Official website of the castle (Dutch)
Coordinates: 50 ° 53 ′ 55 ″ N , 5 ° 59 ′ 49 ″ E