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- English -

Paderborn: Neuhaus Castle

The Neuhaus Castle at the confluence of the rivers Lippe, Alme and Pader, on a kind of island, forms the center of the district of  named after him, about 4 kilometers north of downtown Paderborn.

The castle was built in various phases between 1530 and 1730 and was constantly changed. The Paderborn people originally owe their splendor to their constant argument with the local bishops.

In 1370, Bishop Heinrich von Spiegel was tired of residing in the midst of defiant citizens. He moved his headquarters to Neuhaus village a few kilometers away and built the Haus Spiegel (today the oldest part of the castle).

The Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn was ruled for 432 years from Neuhaus, and over the centuries the residence has grown building by building. In 1590, Bishop Dietrich von Fürstenberg let the four-wing complex in the Weser Renaissance style expanded.

You had to show a clear line against the Protestants. Therefore, the size of the castle was almost doubled and supplemented with four fortified-looking round towers. The facility survived the Thirty Years' War without major damage.

The builders were guided by the Italians' antique or Vitruvian understanding of art. The architecture Vredemann de Vries had a great influence on the design of columns, pedestals, gables and portals.

In the 18th century, the rooms and the park were redesigned by the architect Franz Christoph Nagel. In collaboration with renowned Westphalian artists, the castle was adapted to the taste of the time and converted into a maison de plaisance, a palace, where the prince-bishop could retire. In 1736 the Bishop Clemens August of Wittelsbach had the baroque garden completed.

Neuhaus Castle is now a four-wing complex with round corner towers and a surrounding moat. The main entrance is on the south side. The south wing is formed by the House of Braunschweig, which was built in 1526. The Kerssenbrock house, which was built around 1560, adjoins the building on the east side.

Opposite him stands on the west side near the south-west corner of the Cologne house and right next to it the house from around 1370. The latter is the oldest surviving building of Neuhaus Castle.

The entire garden side in the north was built together with the round corner towers around 1590. It is called Haus Fürstenberg. The construction created access to the garden, which is still dominated by a former drawbridge.

Grenadiers from the Paderborn Infantry Regiment were stationed in order to prevent the disrespectful Paderborners from entering the castle grounds without being asked. The Prussians did not take the episcopal military very seriously.

At the beginning of the 19th century, barracks were established in the castle after the secularization of the bishopric. In 1802, they annexed the prince-bishopric to compensate for the loss of territory to the French on the left bank of the Rhine. This put an end to the bishop as sovereign and the castle as residence.

Napoleon briefly interrupted Prussian rule again, but from 1813 Berlin was again in charge. The Prussia used the castle as barracks, mainly for equestrian regiments. The tradition continued seamlessly after the First World War.

The British Army of the Rhine moved in after the Second World War for the next decades. Later on the Neuhaus village, which was still independent at the time, took over the entire complex from the British army.

It was only on July 19, 1964 that the British High Command returned the system at the symbolic price of one German mark to the community, which has since been renamed "Schloss Neuhaus". She set up a junior high school here three years later (1967). It started with 32 pupils, today about 750 (!) Children and young people are learning here.

Other municipalities would have done everything possible to accommodate in such a showpiece a private high school for the offsprings of the rich and powerful as at Castle Salem or at least a noble private clinic for beauty-conscious celebrities.

Unfortunately, the buildings can only be visited during events. The city of Paderborn only uses the princely dining room still for receptions, the rest is school. The historical museum on the city and castle history is not housed in the castle, but in the neighboring stables.

Fortunately, the castle grounds are open to the public. The entrances are mostly provided with richly decorated portals. The stair towers partly come from different times and vary greatly in appearance.

Numerous details can be seen on the tour of the grounds. On the northwest side, not far from the tower, there is a small stone figure on the roof gable, which reminds of the fate of a roofer.

The year of completion and the coat of arms of the Lords of Fürstenberg can be seen on the southeast tower. The massive and impressive towers are now covered with hoods with flags. The roof bays vary from wing to wing and can be partially assigned to the eras.

The splendid side of the castle is on the back. Behind the castle, in the north, there is a view of the extensive, former baroque garden. He has many beautiful views of the castle. Together with the circular route around the facility, it invites you to stroll.

After the incorporation in 1975, the community carefully continued the maintenance of the castle and park together with the city of Paderborn. For Paderborn, this had the advantage that the city was able to host the NRW Garden Show in 1994 in the Neuhaus Castle park.

Neuhaus Castle becomes the center of the horticultural show in North Rhine-Westphalia. The castle park and the floodplain park are being built or are being restored. With the Garden show 1995 now annual events begin in the context of the castle summer.

Unfortunately, we also have to find out that only the most necessary maintenance is carried out on the area. Millions were invested at that time back then. Many things are slowly decaying or are no longer in operation. That's really a pity!

Parking and sightseeing of the castle park and the former garden show grounds are free of charge!

- English -

Herten Castle

The Herten moated castle is not far from the city center of Herten, what was once the largest mining town on the European continent.

This gem from the Middle Ages lies in the middle of the Ruhr area, in the middle of a large and remarkable castle park with ancient forest. The late Gothic castle and the extensive 30 hectare castle park invite you to visit with the whole family.

Herten Castle was first mentioned in 1376. The family of those von Herten, liege men of the Abbey Werden, was first mentioned in 1286 with Gerlach von Hertene. Their former residence is believed to be in the town center of Herten at the parish church of St. Antonius.

In the 14th century, the knightly family built a permanent house on the site of today's castle, which was mentioned in 1376 as a fief of the Imperial Abbey in Werden. Herten Castle was initially built as a small weir system. The remains of a keep can still be seen today. In the period that followed, expansion and conversion into a representative castle took place.

By marriage, the Herten house came to the Lords of Galen in the mid-14th century. The heiress Elseke brought it to her husband Dietrich von Stecke in 1488 through her marriage in 1476. Anna von Stecke married Bertram von Nesselrode in 1529, heir to the duchies of Jülich and Berg.

Like numerous members of the Nesselrode family, he was a politically influential nobleman at the time and from 1539 to 1556 he was governor of Cologne in the Vest Recklinghausen. From 1530 he had the castle expanded as a closed fort with corner pavilion towers. The towers are still standing today.

The estate remained in the possession of the von Nesselrode family for almost 300 years. After eventful years, a siege in 1593 and a fire almost a century later (1687), Herten Castle was rebuilt by Baron Franz von Nesselrode until 1702. Baron Franz von Nesselrode-Reichenstein was elevated to the status of imperial count by Emperor Leopold I in 1702.

When the last male representative of the von Nesselrode, Johann Franz Josef von Nesselrode, died in 1826, the castle came through Johann's daughter Charlotte to the von Droste zu Vischering family, who was also elevated to the status of an imperial count in the same year.

The members of their Herten lineage then called themselves Droste zu Vischering von Nesselrode-Reichenstein. The family lived at the Herten estate until shortly after the First World War. However, after they moved to Merten Castle in Eitorf from 1920 and thus gave up Herten Castle as a place of residence, it was left to decay.

The castle remained unused and fell visibly into disrepair until it was sold to the Landscapes Association of Westphalia-Lippe in 1974. The site was renovated until 1989, making it accessible to the public.

The State clinic for psychiatry and psychotherapy Herten is located in the western part, which also uses some historical buildings of the castle. The main castle is reached via a bridge from the outer castle, which in turn is surrounded by a moat and contains a coach house and chapel.

The main castle is today a late Gothic brick building with a closed courtyard. The four parts of the building surrounding it have the shape of a trapezoid. The castle with its characteristic corner towers is surrounded by a moat, a moat. The castle is partially accessible, for example, offers a restaurant, but is mainly used by the clinic.

 After the Schlosspark was awakened from its more than 50-year-old sleeping beauty in 1974, as a People's park it is an integral part of the life of (not only) the people of Herten.

Between 1687 and 1702 the park was transformed from a strict baroque garden into a landscape park based on the English model. Count von Nesselrode even engaged Düsseldorf court gardener Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe to design the palace park.

The small pavilion, Tobacco house, in the castle park got its name from the two Counts Riaucourt - sons of a countess Nesselrode - who found shelter in Herten Castle from the French Revolution. In this garden shed they enjoyed the new fashion of smoking in front of the fireplace, which was frowned upon in the castle.

The orangery, built in 1725, was decorated by a balustrade with 12 statues at the time. It housed the garden casino, court parties were celebrated, orange and ornamental trees were raised and there was space for one of the most beautiful camellia collections.

In the meantime there is unfortunately only a ruin left. Missing repairs and mining damage hit the building, which was only partially renovated in the 1970s. The reconstruction of the surprisingly large orangery is still under discussion.

After the noble family moved from Nesselrode to Merten Castle in 1920, the park was only opened for special celebrations and processions. For nature and animals, it was a relaxing time behind the walls. The park overgrown, but also the Herten moated castle and the orangery decayed over time.

When the Land Association of Westphalia-Lippe bought the property with the castle in 1974, considerable renovation measures were necessary. Between 1974 and 1976 over 2 million DM were invested in the castle park alone. It was only made accessible when it was acquired by the state association.

Botanical treasures from all over the world can be found in the Herten castle park - chile fir trees, Japanese cypresses,  katsura trees or catalpa and  ghost trees. The star magnolia in front of the castle is one of the oldest in Westphalia.

The park was structured in a varied way with meadows, avenues, squares or even a rose garden and invites you to stroll. Rare giant trees, old forests, daffodil meadows, the maze and the open-air theater are grouped around the Herten Castle.

The castle ponds adjoin the picturesque moats, which are particularly impressive due to their biodiversity of waterfowl. Unfortunately, tons of invasive geese (Egyptian geese and Canada geese) have settled here, which obviously feel very comfortable and reproduce splendidly.

The green areas are correspondingly contaminated and the ponds are also badly affected by this overpopulation.

Entry to the castle park is possible 24/7 and free of charge!