Westerwinkel Castle
.jpg)
The Westerwinkel Castle is a baroque moated castle in Ascheberger district Herbern in Münsterland . It houses a museum that can be visited by appointment.
history
The existence of a castle in Westerwinkel is documented for the year 1225 . There must have been a defiant water system there, protected by a double system of ditches with walls, which - attested to the time of the Thirty Years' War - were so high that they almost completely covered the lower row of windows . However, a fortification must have existed at this location at an earlier point in time. For example, it is documented that Count Arnold von Altena -Isenberg, who was also allowed to use the title Count von Hövel , owned a fortification in the area of Westerwinkel around 1190. Westerwinkel belonged to the Grafschaft Werl until around the year 1000 and then, depending on which of the two theories one followed (cf. the article Grafen von Hövel ), it was transferred either to the Counts of Arnsberg or directly to the Counts of Hövel. After the division of the estate (from Werl or Arnsberg), Westerwinkel became an integral part of the County of Hövel either around 1003 or after 1124 . Located on the north-western edge of the Werler and Höveler Grafschaft, Westerwinkel was, together with Stockum, a lonely outpost on the edge of the Münster area of interest . The strategic importance of the location is likely to be reciprocal to the number of sources preserved, which makes the existence of a weir system at this time probable for the entire period of existence of the counties Werl and Hövel, but not verifiable. This is all the more true as no building structure has been preserved from the original castle complex and nobody can say what the castle complex originally looked like. At the time of the Werler rule, however, the village of Herbern, which today belongs to Ascheberg, already existed , in the immediate vicinity of which Westerwinkel is located (Herbern is historically mentioned for the first time around 889 in the books of the Werden an der Ruhr monastery ). For its owner there must have been a need to secure this property on the northwestern edge of the county against possible invaders. Herbern was also on the old trade route Münster - Dortmund - Cologne, today's B54, which led through Herbern, which underlines the strategic importance of the square.
In 1225 Friedrich von Isenberg murdered his uncle, Archbishop Engelbert I of Cologne . After the execution of the murderer, a violent feud broke out between his son Dietrich von Altena-Isenberg and Count Adolf I von der Mark , who had usurped the Isenberg estates, the so-called Isenberg Wirren . After this feud, Dietrich von Isenberg kept Westerwinkel, Heessen and Limburg Castle on the Lenne . He now called himself Count of Limburg .
The castle changed hands several times. The Lords of Ascheberg owned the castle until 1430. Around 1430 Hermann von Merveldt was enfeoffed with the Westerwinkel property by the Counts of Limburg. The von Merveldt family belongs to the Westphalian nobility . It comes from Merfeld Castle , which is located northwest of Dülmen, where it has been documented since 1251. The new owner of the castle was named Hermann von Merveldt (1399–1450), Marshal of the Prince-Bishop of Münster and Droste of the Stromberg office. When the family ran into financial difficulties, ownership briefly changed back to the von Ascheberg family. Hermann's nephew bought it back in 1498. In 1515 the Westerwinkel family had to sell again. So it went over to the Raesfeld zu Ostendorf, and then via the Count of Limburg to the Diepenbrock zu Lake (1523). When Dirk von Merveldt played an important role in the conquest of Munster from the hands of the Munster Anabaptists and even captured the Anabaptist king Jan van Leyden , the Merveldts' finances went up again - the spoils of war were plentiful. With their help, Dirk von Merveldt built a Renaissance masterpiece in Wolbeck , the Drostenhof. In 1555 he married the heir to the von Diepenbrock family , Ursula von Diepenbrock zu Westerwinkel. In this way the Merveldts came back into possession of Westerwinkel in 1567 by dividing the inheritance, which has remained with them to this day.
This younger line of the von Merveldt family was able to expand their property significantly: Dietrich Hermann von Merveldt (1598–1658) is another important representative of the family. He was Droste zu Wolbeck, Privy Councilor, Colonel Marshal and Chancellor. In 1625 he bought Geinegge Castle in Bockum-Hövel and in 1655 the Beckedorf house , with which the family acquired the right of patronage over the Bockum parish.
Today's Westerwinkel Castle has nothing in common with the original castle complex. The outer bailey buildings were erected between 1663 and 1668. From a legal point of view, a decisive turning point occurred four years after construction began. Up to this point in time Westerwinkel was still a fief. In 1667, however, it was possible to detach it from the Hohenlimburg feudal relationship by paying a sum of money. In this way, Westerwinkel became the personal property of the von Merveldt family. Only one year later, on February 17, 1668, Theodor Hermann von Merveldt (1624–1696) was elevated to the status of hereditary imperial baron by Emperor Leopold I. This increase in status brought with it an elevated need for representation. The system was therefore laid out more generously and expansively. This is due to the fact that Westerwinkel Castle is one of the earliest baroque castles in Westphalia.
The social advancement of the family did not end there. On December 20, 1726, the imperial barons of Emperor Charles VI. in the hereditary imperial count stood raised.
From 1840 the Merveldts were granted the title of Hereditary Marshal of the Duchy of Münster, which was due to the extinction of the Plettenbergs .
Ferdinand, the last hereditary marshal of the FsTT. Münster, had no sons, only one daughter, Maria Josepha (* July 5, 1922 in Lembeck, † April 30, 1993 in Munich), who was Johannes Freiherr von Twickel (* April 22, 1903 in Ostrowine, † April 3, 1989 in Adendorf near Bonn) on April 21, 1949 in Westerwinkel. Their son, Ferdinand Freiherr von Twickel (born June 16, 1951) was adopted by his grandfather Ferdinand (Westerwinkel contract November 6, 1952, Dorsten confirmed by court on February 2, 1953) and has been called Count Ferdinand von Merveldt, Freiherr zu Lembeck, Baron von Twickel (non-objection to nobility law due to the resolution of the committee for nobility law issues of the German Nobility Associations Marburg ad Lahn September 28, 1955) and is the current owner of Westerwinkel Castle.
The Counts of Merveldt did not make any modifications to Westerwinkel Castle. For this reason, the buildings have not shown any changes since the 17th century and have been in their current state since then, albeit with one major restriction: one of the wings that make up the building has since fallen victim to a fire and has disappeared.
Appearance of the castle
The idyllic, natural location of the castle, which is a long way away from human settlement, prompted the author of the information sheet at the castle entrance to write the following poetic lines:
The specialty of this castle is not based on an eventful past or on a fascinating architectural history. Rather, it differs from all other castles in its own character. It is reserved, like the inhabitants of this region; it is hidden in the high forests and in the meadows and fields enclosed with hedges; it seems rather to want to remain alone, hidden from every stranger, content with itself and its little world. This Sleeping Beauty Castle was built in the middle of an English garden. It is a complex of moats whose origins can be traced back to the early Baroque style and whose principles correspond to those of the medieval castle. At the time of construction, the moats were dug, but not for defensive purposes (because this system of defense was already out of date at the time), but with an architectural objective that is representative of the Baroque style. The entire complex extends over two rectangular islands; the buildings are on the east island and the garden is on the west island.
Westerwinkel Castle is located about 1 km west of Herbern in the midst of an extensive landscape designed in the style of an English landscape park, which has now been partially destroyed by poor maintenance and the installation of a golf course. It is built as a water system and framed by a multiple, rectangular system of dimensions. Overall, the nested driveway and the fortified structures give the impression of a defensive structure from earlier centuries. The garden island connects to the west. Inside the old vegetable garden there is a pavilion with two floors in the Baroque style, which was built by Johann Conrad Schlaun and has been left to decay for years. The now natural palace garden, which is home to numerous native animal and plant species, was laid out as an English garden in the last century. It has a population of rare trees, including a 600-year-old linden tree. After the golf course was installed, a very old avenue of chestnut trees was felled and replaced by oaks. The creation of a second bridge, which seriously disrupts the island character of the outer bailey and is presumably intended to provide more convenient access for golf course visitors to the castle, was also not compatible with listed buildings. In this context, however, it should not go unmentioned that the golf course generates money that can be invested in the maintenance of the property.
The fortress-like main castle is located on the eastern island, which is opposite the garden island, and rises directly from the water of the inner moats. It is a self-contained four-wing complex with a square pavilion tower on every corner - these towers were built between 1663 and 1668. The four-wing structure is enclosed by three walls and the outer bailey. The ramparts used to be significantly higher so that they almost covered the ground floor. The eight-line, steep and drawn-in tower domes were only put on at the beginning of the 19th century. Each tower of the castle (a total of 6 - the four corner towers of the main castle, the bell tower and another on the edge of the outer bailey) is adorned with an onion roof, which is crowned by a weather vane. There are simple saddle roofs over the four wings.
The complex thus follows the building type often observed in Westphalia, the castle on two islands. The outer bailey is on one island, the main castle on the other. Here, however, there is a special feature that the wall-like continuations of the island of the outer bailey concentrically surround the innermost moats. Further moats follow to the west and enclose the square garden island. Overall, this is as big as the farmyard and the main castle together. Looking at the entire property, the result is a system measuring 200 × 350 m. The structural unity of Westerwinkel Castle is remarkable. It looks like it was built in one piece. The reason for this is essentially the short and undisturbed construction phase, but the spaciousness and generosity of the landscape planning around the castle also make a contribution.
The Castle Ancy-le-Franc in Burgundy , Johannisburg Castle in Aschaffenburg , Sternberg Castle in Franconia and similar investments are famous models and types compared for this style. It is a type of fort that was once a regular form of construction in the Renaissance and flourished late here. In view of the late construction period, however, it already looks a bit old-fashioned conceptually. The builder was probably the Prince-Bishop's engineer Peter Pictorius the Elder , who lived from 1626 to 1685.
All sides of the castle are designed in the same way: two rows of uniform stone cross windows for the upper floor and the first floor. There are small cellar hatches further down. The design of the windows is continued on the corner pavilions. The facade is divided horizontally by water hammer cornices. For the socket was broken stone used as the material for the walls of brick . Both have been plastered. Visible sandstone was used for the corner blocks .
On the ground floor, all the representative rooms are located one behind the other in a simple sequence with the full width of the wings. The quarter for high-ranking guests was in the south wing. On the upper floor there is a corridor on the courtyard side, from which the individual rooms and apartments branch off - a completely different arrangement concept.
There is only a single bridge connected to the outer bailey. This consists of several irregularly laid out buildings that are open to the four-wing complex. If you look at the entrance to the main castle on the north side of the wing building, you can see that the bridge and gateway are slightly off the center axis. The portal frame is of Tuscan order and is crowned by a split gable. The year is given as 1668. On the west wing above a double flight of stairs there is another gatehouse with a bridge over a second, square moat that surrounds the whole. The baroque inner courtyard portal is richly structured and is located exactly in the central axis. The building inscription reads: DOMINE REFUGIUM FACTUS ES NOBIS A GENEATIONE IN GENERATIONE ANNO MDCLXIII - “God is our refuge from generation to generation” or “Lord, you are refuge for us from generation to generation”, Anno 1663. Despite this year it is Portal was not added until 1680–1690.
In the middle - opposite the gate that leads to the inner courtyard - the clock tower rises. After having passed the entrance gate, one arrives at the entrance hall. Here you can see a Dutch clock. It is also known as the "astronomical clock" because it not only shows the time, but also the day of the week, the date and month and the current zodiac sign. The main oak staircase leads to the upper floor.
The administrator's house is between the two islands. It was built in the first quarter of the 19th century. Ornaments made of colored bricks give it a cheerful and very special touch , as stated on the information sheet in the entrance area.
In the immediate vicinity of the castle is the golf cafe "Hugo am Schloss", a restaurant with an attached beer garden. The golf course, built in 1994, has been operated since 2019 by the Wasserschloss Westerwinkel eV Golf Club (founded in 1995), which took over the golf course from an operating company.
On the edge of the golf course there is a memorial stone dedicated to Saint Hubertus with the inscription “Sct. Hubertus, November 3, 1885 ”. He shows Hubertus standing at the edge of the forest, his horse only looks out of the forest with his head, the body must still be in it. The Hubertus figure is now missing its head.
The hiking trails around the castle are lined with boards, which are intended to bring the hikers closer to the native flora and fauna and which are sometimes nostalgic, as they - in the old spelling - also describe animal species such as the partridge, which are now among the most endangered species . The description of a larch - placed directly in front of an oak tree - gives the information boards an involuntarily cheerful note.
coat of arms
A total of three portals can be found at Westerwinkel Castle, which are adorned with the coats of arms of those of Merveldt and those of Westerholt pushed together. The first is located at the gatehouse of the outer bailey, the second can be seen above the entrance to the four-wing complex and the third finally at the representative entrance to the west wing of the main building.
There are many relationships between the von Merveldt and von Westerholt houses. Both belong to the Westphalian nobility and were raised to the imperial baron status in close time. The von Westerholt, whose ancestral castle of the same name is in the Recklinghausen rulership , was raised to the status of imperial baron in 1634, that of Merveldt 34 years later.
Several marriages link both families:
- Theodor Hermann von Merveldt (1624–1688), Imperial Baron from 1668, married Anna Sophia von Westerholt zu Lembeck in 1649. It is their coat of arms that can be seen on the gates of the outer bailey.
- Theodor Burchard von Merveldt (1624–1688), imperial count from 1726, married Sophia Theodora von Westerholt zu Lembeck in 1677.
- Ferdinand Theodor von Merveldt (1681–1765) married Maria Josepha von Westerholt zu Lembeck in 1708. This expanded the property of the Counts of Merveldt, u. a. to Lembeck , the Westerwinkel is just like today owned by the family. Lembeck was able to be united with Westerwinkel to one property in the form of an entails . Maria Jospha von Westerholt zu Lembeck had already been granted the status of an heir daughter in her parents' marriage contract.
By uniting the houses, the family's coat of arms has also been expanded.
The family coat of arms of the von Merveldt family shows a golden latticework in blue made up of two overlapping rafters and two inclined bars, one placed diagonally to the right, the other diagonally to the left. It is not an interwoven sloping grid, even if some incorrect images (also in Siebmacher ) represent it in such a way. If you look at the coat of arms on site, you quickly notice that there was always an empty space above the rafters that ended at the top. There are also no more inclined bars to be seen below, although there would be enough space for them. The gem shows the shield in a reduced form. It is located between two blue ostrich feathers covered with slanted golden rods. The helmet covers are presented in blue and gold. In the Siebmacher the feathers are described differently, namely only made of gold, but you can also see here during a visual inspection at Westerwinkel Castle itself that the above representation is in fact correct.
The von Westerholt coat of arms, on the other hand, is quartered. Field 1 and field 4 showed the family coat of arms, which is split by black and silver and divided twice. The Lembeck coat of arms can be seen on fields 2 and 3 . It consists of three drawbar-shaped silver nails in red on a serrated silver field with the tips pointing towards the center.
Above fields 1 and 4 there is a helmet ornament, a black and silver puffed helmet on which a red-armored silver swan sits with wings open to the right. The left wing is silver with a black bar, the right wing black with a silver bar. Overall, the wings have the same colors and divisions as the shield or the field. A flight can be seen above fields 2 and 3, silver on the right and red on the left.
In this regard, too, there are different information in the Siebmacher. Fields 2 and 3 should contain a silver ram's head on a red background, which is studded with three blue nails. The appearance at Westerwinkel Castle differs significantly from this description.
Over the years, the Westerholt coat of arms has been changed several times. It was expanded to include the elements of Gysenberg and Raitz von Frentz (baronial and counts arms of Westerholt). The new coat of arms now bears on a shield quartered by Gysenberg and Raitz von Frentz a heart shield quartered by Westerholt and Lembeck.
All the coats of arms bear the merged coat of arms of Merveldt / von Westerholt above the portals. The coats of arms of each of the two spouses each occupy one half of the gap. All three small helmets are combined on the combined shield.
Further heraldic documents from later times can be found in the castle itself. They show a further development of the earlier coat of arms. While the coats of arms Merveldt and Westerholt are still neatly separated in a split shield on the outside of the castle, they later merged into a single coat of arms. The Merveldt coat of arms comes as a heart shield on the Westerholt-Lembeck main shield.
The corner pavilion should also be mentioned. The servants' apartments and the brewery kitchen used to be housed here. The pavilion served as storage. The year dates the building to 1663. If you look at the two-storey gatehouse with drawbridge and the corner pavilion on the left, you can see the marriage coat of arms above the portal with drawbridge. It is split into Merveldt (front) and Westerholt (back). The small helmets show optically from left to right Westerholt, Merveldt, Lembeck.
literature
- Hans-Peter Boer, Andreas Lechtape: Castles and palaces in the Münsterland. 2nd Edition. Aschendorff, Münster 2015, ISBN 978-3-402-12766-7 , pp. 143-145.
- Jens Friedhoff : Westerwinkel Castle. In: Deutsche Burgenvereinigung e. V. (Ed.): Annual trip 2018 in Westphalia on the occasion of the general meeting of the German Castle Association in Münster. Excursion guide. German Castle Association, Braubach 2018, pp. 77–81.
- Karl Eugen Mummenhoff : Westerwinkel Castle (= great architectural monuments. Issue 365). 2nd Edition. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich / Berlin 1998.
- Fritz Schumacher, Hartmut Greilich: Bockum-Hövel. From history and local history. Hamm 1956, new edition 2002.
- Kai Niederhöfer: Münsterland royal. Excursions to palaces and castles. Droste, Düsseldorf 2017, ISBN 978-3-7700-1582-5 , pp. 184-189.
Web links
- Entry by Stefan Eismann about Schloss Westerwinkel in the scientific database " EBIDAT " of the European Castle Institute
- Information about the castle at welt-der-wappen.de
- Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe: Westerwinkel Castle Park in LWL geodata culture
Individual evidence
- ↑ History of Herbern on www.herbern.de ( Memento of 31 January 2009 at the Internet Archive )
- ^ Archives: Archives Lembeck. Stock: certificates. Document: 1691, Dec. 1. Marriage contract of the parents of Maria Josepha. . Dec. 1, 1691. Signature: Lem Urk. 1691, Dec. 1. Link
Coordinates: 51 ° 44 ′ 22.7 " N , 7 ° 38 ′ 32.7" E