Groß Winkelhausen Manor

The name derives from the estate's location at a "Winkel" (bend or corner) of the Anger stream. The noble family of the Lords of Winkelhausen is named after the knight's seat.

The knight's seat is first mentioned in the 12th century. In 1271, a Johann de Zeppenheim is named as Lord of Winkelhausen. His seal shows a tar torch iron. In 1288 and 1290, Ludolf de Winkelhausen appears as the owner of the knight's seat. In 1456, Knight Hermann von Winkelhausen resided at the castle complex. He had two sons, Ludger and Johann, the former of whom was the owner of Winkelhausen in 1486. Ludger also inherited Kalkum Castle and moved the family's main residence there, so Kalkum Castle was temporarily also called Haus Winkelhausen. In 1634, a Johann Wilhelm Freiherr von Winkelhausen appears as the owner of Winkelhausen. He was the bailiff of Düsseldorf.

In 1651, the Brandenburgers undertook a raid on Winkelhausen during the war against Louis XIV of France. The fortified house Groß-Winkelhausen was severely damaged in the process.

When Johann Wilhelm von Winkelhausen died in 1667, his daughter Johanna Maria Theresia inherited the house and its associated estates, including the Sandmühle (sand mill) and the Ölmühle (oil mill). In 1655, she had married Arnold Freiherr von Wachtendonk, who moved into Groß-Winkelhausen after his father-in-law's death.

In battles in 1689 and 1690, Winkelhausen received a garrison of 70 cavalrymen and 100 foot soldiers. When they withdrew, the castle had suffered so severely that the Landtag approved compensation of 600 Reichstalers. The damage caused by the French occupation during the First Silesian War in 1741 was also enormous. It was estimated at 16,481 Reichstalers.

Since the von Winkelhausen family died out in 1734, Groß-Winkelhausen, along with other estates, passed to the Lords of Hatzfeld through the marriage of a niece of Johann Wilhelm. Since 1909, the estate has been managed by the Sonnen family, and since 2002 by Karl and Ursula Sonnen.

Over time, the medieval moated castle, which consisted of an outer bailey and a manor house, was expanded into a fortress with double moats. The castle was later destroyed by fire. The last fires in 1906 and 1908 also destroyed a large part of the farm buildings. Only the southwestern wing of the farm buildings and the main gatehouse from 1668 remained. Above the gate is the alliance coat of arms of the Winkelhausen and Waldbott von Bassenheim families. It shows the year 1658. The manor house of the medieval complex stood to the north, approximately where the large riding hall stands today.

In the immediate vicinity, at the end of an avenue leading from the portal of the knight's seat, is the 18th-century Hubertus Chapel. The Hubertus Chapel also displays the alliance coat of arms of the Lords of Winkelhausen and Waldbott-Bassenheim above its portal. A little further southeast, there is another farm complex called Klein-Winkelhausen.

The Groß-Winkelhausen estate building was originally located in the Angermund district, and since 1806 in the municipality of Düsseldorf-Wittlaer, which belonged to the Kaiserswerth mayoralty. Since 1974, the area around Groß-Winkelhausen has been part of the city of Düsseldorf.

The farm and estate buildings have been protected as a historical monument since November 24, 1983. Since April 10, 1997, the estate grounds have also been protected as an archaeological monument.

The knight's seat is now used as an equestrian center. As early as 1967, the last dairy cow was removed, and the stable buildings were converted for horses. More than 50 horses are housed on the premises.