Hertefeld Castle

The system of house Hertefeld, today consisting of a ruined castle and a Renteigebäude and the park, is at the center of the community Weeze in North Rhine -Westphalia. It goes back to a knight's seat from the 14th century.

Residents and owners

1322 the house was first Hertefeld as a knight sitting mention. However, it is suggested that the family of the same name was much longer reside there, because already in 1179 a Theodoricus de Hertevelde is mentioned in a document.

In the 14th century the house was Hertefeld focus of a separate dominion, but the independence was in the following years by an ever closer bond to the County of Cleves lost. William of Hertefeld sold the rule with the exception of the house in 1322 to Count Dietrich VII of Cleves. But the house was then three years later on in Cleves possession. Later House Hertefeld came together with the rule again as klevisches fief to the Lords of Hertefeld, including Stephen II of Hertefeld.

As the descendant of Stephen IV died in 1485, the family divided by his two sons in two lines. While the older line under Stephen VI. by marriage the house Kolk acquired in Uedem, the younger branch remained under Henry owned the house Hertefeld, but died with Elbert and from Hertefeld from. Previously, he had the estate in 1637 pledged to his step- brother Elbert Steen house. When he ran into financial difficulties, acquired his cousin Jobst Gerhard von Hertefeld for Kolk Hertefeld and thus united the possession of the two family lines back. At that time included the extensive possessions of the Hertefeld next Uedem Weeze and the castle Boetzelaer, Hönnepel, Kervenheim and Zelhem (now a district of the municipality Bronckhorst ).

Jobst Gerhard's father had acquired through good relations with the Brandenburg Elector Friedrich Wilhelm Liebenberg in the possession of Brandenburg, then made ​​the primary residence of his family. His grandson, Samuel and from Hertefeld, was charged by Frederick I in the kingdom baron. The Prussian King was staying during his Lower Rhine inspection trips always Hertefeld, but so was not the only celebrity guest in Weeze. Even Tsar Alexander I had already stayed there.

With Baron Karl of Hertefeld the family died out in the male line in 1867, so that the property fell to his grandniece Alexandrine. She was married to Philip Conrad Graf zu Eulenburg and brought Hertefeld so in the family of the Counts zu Eulenburg. Alexandrine and her son Philip received from the Emperor 1898 permission, in addition to leading the Baron title.

That Philip was intimate friend and close adviser of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who elevated him in 1900 in the rank of prince. By a count title - awarded by the Swedish king - the family heads called henceforth " Prince of Eulenburg and Hertefeld, Count of Sandels ". Philip made ​​a few years later made ​​headlines when he came into the Harden - Eulenburg Affair in the field of fire of the influential publicists Maximilian Harden. In several processes he had to fend off charges of homosexuality, but was never convicted.

Alexandrines second son, Botho Sigwart, was the first family member who Hertefeld inhabited again for a long time. He composed there the opera " The songs of Euripides ", which was premiered in 1915 at the Royal Court Theatre Stuttgart.

Since the Liebenberg castle was confiscated at the end of the Second World War as part of the so-called land reform, the royal family returned to Hertefeld to the Lower Rhine. The plant is still in their possession.

Architectural History

The monument ensemble Hertefeld today consists of some reconstructed castle ruins, the obtained Renteigebäude and the guard houses in a five -acre park. On the property is also close to former farmyard and a small zoo.

Archaeological finds indicate a use of the site since the 13th century. The predecessor of today's castle ruins, in which it is in all probability concerned a residential tower or a castle house, came from the 14th century. In 1500, a gable settled cultivation, the floor formed a nearly six meters high representative hall was built.

In 1600 the original building from the 14th century was replaced by a gate tower with miniature key -holes.

Samuel and from Hertefeld gave the plant through conversions and extensions its present basic form. He left the main house in 1700 to remodel a Baroque palace built in 1706 and the Renteigebäude. About a symmetrical counterpart to this has been considered, but not carried out. The main building was given two wings, which hipped roofs were put on, the three-story, projecting risalitartig gate tower, a baroque dome. Was flanked on both sides of the tower of small stair towers. Single storey function rooms have been set up, while the raised ground floor living rooms - all equipped with fireplace - home to three meters high with windows. On the north side of the area, a baroque garden in the French style was created. The mansion was surrounded on all sides by moats and can only be reached via a wooden bridge while was the irregularly shaped outer bailey on a Vorinsel.

The later period following changes were only marginally or served to maintain the system. In the first third of the 18th century, the gate tower was narrow side turrets. At the same time the large, inefficient windows have been reduced on the upper floor of the main house.

In 1904 was made by Prince Philip, a renovation of the facility. The building received a steam heating, the gate tower, a staircase, and on the north side of the park created two guard houses.

In February 1945, the castle was burned down in the chaos of war. The Rentei was badly damaged, but could be made ​​habitable again in 1946 by Prince Friedrich- Wend. The decades silted ditches (some of which were filled at the beginning of the 19th century ) formed the bases for the creation of a new park in the English landscape style, were integrated into the parts of the old French garden.

House Hertefeld today

From 1998 to 2006 there was a gradual restoration of the system. Following an idea in 1947, the remaining buildings of the castle ruin was investigated as part of a pattern backup and rebuilt part. Both the central wing of the building and the historic main tower were rebuilt. Last received in April 2005, based on a drawing Jan de Beijer 1734 the replica of its baroque hood back, which had been built of ten tons of oak, while a 280 -pound bronze bell, next to the Hertefelder Coat of year 2004 and the inscription "God's word is eternal " bears.

Even the once overgrown park of the system has been restored.

House Hertefeld is unchanged in private family hands. Castle ruins, Rentei, Wächtershäuser and park are, however, visitors for overnight stays, events, (civil ) marriage ceremonies and conferences.