Hopen Castle

Hopen Castle is located in the municipality of Lohne (Vechta district, Lower Saxony) in the rural community of Südlohne, in the middle of Hopen Forest. The moated castle was built in 1517 by Herbord von Dinklage near the Hopen Mill Stream. The Lords of Dinklage resided at Hopen Estate until 1591, then from 1591 to 1793, the Lords of Haren. Through partial inheritance and purchase, Hopen Castle came into the possession of Friedrich Christian Oeynhausen zu Merrelsheim. Hopen Estate was acquired by the von Galen family in 1805. In 1948, refugees were housed in the manor house, and in 1948, Count Korff, known as Schmiesing-Kerssenbrock, became the owner. Hopen Moated Castle also served as a youth hostel for a time starting in 1954. Since 1964, it has been in private use again.

Hopen Moated Castle is surrounded by a moat, which had been partially filled in and was dredged and restored to its original state by Count Kerssenbrock. The second floor of the castle, made of strong half-timbering, dates from the 16th/17th century. Around 1780, the castle was almost doubled in length by a two-story half-timbered extension. The once-existing castle tower collapsed into the moat in 1825, the drawbridge was demolished in 1880, and the annex around 1900. Above the entrance door is a sandstone canopy with the coat of arms of the families von Haren and Löw von und zu Steinfurth.

The painting Hopen Moated Castle near Lohne from the 1970s is by the painter Luzie Uptmoor (1899–1984).

Hopen Castle formerly included an estate with agriculture, forestry, and pond farming. The avenues that run through Hopen Castle Forest were laid out starting in 1703 by the then-owner Herbord von Haren.