Holten Castle (Oberhausen)

Kastell Holten, also known as Holten Castle, is a former moated castle in the Holten district of Oberhausen, which was built as a border fortification in 1307 by Count Engelbert II. von der Mark. Of this complex, only the reconstructed east wing of the former main castle, dating from the 16th century, remains today.

Kastell Holten had a predecessor building, which was already mentioned as Holte Castle in 1188, 1243, and 1250 during sales of property shares to the Archbishop of Cologne.

In the protection of the castle, the settlement of Holten began here in the Middle Ages. Holten received its town rights as early as 1310 from Engelbert II. von der Mark, who had married Mechthild von Holte und Arberg from the House of Arenberg in 1299.

In 1355, the castle and town became a Cleves fief. Between 1445 and 1557, they were pledged to the von Loë family. Occupied by Spanish soldiers in 1586 and 1598 during the Eighty Years' War, these were followed by Ansbach and Anhalt troops in 1623 during the Thirty Years' War, and finally Hessian troops in 1634. In 1672, Holten was temporarily taken into military possession by French units.

After Holten was under Brandenburg rule from 1609 to 1701, it belonged to Prussia from 1701. Temporarily under Berg rule from 1806 to 1813, Kastell Holten reverted to Prussia in 1815 as a result of the Congress of Vienna.