Hastenbeck Castle

The Hastenbeck manor was first mentioned in the 13th century. The castle property was a fief of the Counts of Everstein and, after their extinction in 1409, of the Dukes of Braunschweig-Calenberg. The feudal lords were the Knights of Hastenbeke, later Hastenbeck, and belonged to the ancient nobility. They are often mentioned in the Hameln charters and owned land in the surrounding villages and the city of Hameln. With Hartung von Hastenbeck, who was married to a von Reden, the family died out around 1550.

In the following years, the Hastenbeck estate was only pledged by the Dukes. In 1618, the Duke of Braunschweig and Lüneburg sold the estate to Arnd von Wobersnow, who came from a Pomeranian family, for 30,000 Thalers. A little north of the old Hastenbeck castle site, he had the "Wobersnow" fortress built on the Haste. Whether this was ever completed and/or destroyed by Tilly's soldiers during the siege of Hameln in the 30 Years' War in 1633 is not proven. He also had the dilapidated chapel demolished and the church that still exists today built.

In order to realize his elaborate building plans, Wobersnow, as mint commissioner, had begun to debase silver groschen in 1617. The coins had only a lower silver content. It was the beginning of the "Kipper und Wipper" period, which quickly spread not only in Braunschweig and thus caused rampant inflation and drove many into bankruptcy. After his machinations were uncovered, Wobersnow fled to Hildesheim, where he died in 1621.

The Duke then had all Wobersnow's estates in the Duchy confiscated. Due to the protests and complaints of the widow, the Hastenbeck estate was returned to the Wobersnows in 1639. As a result of financial difficulties, they ceded their rights to Henning von Reden for 8000 Thalers. He received the feudal letter from the Duke for the house, village and court of Hastenbeck. Like the von Hastenbeck, the von Reden also belong to the local ancient nobility and come from Reden near Pattensen.

In 1635, the von Reden built a new manor house away from the old fortress. In its place, the neo-Gothic castle building made of red Keuper sandstone from Obensburg was built in 1869. The two-winged building has wide gable fronts, a high roof and a large stair tower with round windows. In 1952, after a fire, the most important farm buildings were destroyed. In 1954, a new residential building with associated farm buildings was erected in an open field.

In the 18th century, there was a symmetrical garden complex with fruit and vegetable gardens and an orangery building that still exists today. In the 19th century, after the Wars of Liberation, the gardens were transformed into a landscape park, which included the remains of the old fortress. Directly at the back of the castle is a large lawn with large solitary trees. This is followed by the former fortress grounds. The four corner bastions and the connecting ramparts are still recognizable. On the north side facing the castle, a wall has been preserved and in the eastern rampart a casemate room, which served as an apple cellar and in World War II as an air-raid shelter. The moat that surrounded the fortress is also partially preserved. The burial site of the von Reden/Hohlt family, built in 1832, is also located in the park. Unfortunately, the park is heavily overgrown.

Since the last lord of the manor, Bruno von Reden (1870-1962), had no male offspring, his son Ernst-August fell in World War II in 1943, the Hastenbeck manor passed in 1947 to Anna Hohlt née von Reden and in 1967 to her son Hermann-Garlich Hohlt, who had already managed it since 1957. He transferred the estate to his son Frank-Garlich in 1995.

Source text: www.hamelner-geschichte.de