To be privately owned
CastleGrevenbroich-Hülchrath
Hülchrath Castle
Hülchrath Castle is a former moated castle in the Hülchrath district of the city of Grevenbroich. The complex, located on the Gillbach, dates back in its substance to the 14th century.
In the 12th century, the castle was owned by a noble family of the same name. Sovereignty passed to the Archbishopric of Cologne in the 13th century.
In 1583, during the Truchsessian War, the castle was besieged and captured by Spanish troops. The town of Hülchrath was destroyed and the castle damaged. During the subsequent reconstruction, the castle and town were reinforced with bastion structures. In 1678 (Franco-Dutch War), the castle was captured again. The owners were subsequently forced to demolish the bastion structures built 100 years earlier. A longer period of decay of the complex followed. From 1803, the castle complex was sold several times. During this time, the families Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck and von Benningsen, among others, owned the complex, which they partially renovated and expanded.
During the Third Reich, the castle complex served as a training center for the Werwolf (partisan movement). The Werwolf was a guerrilla troop that was supposed to carry out sabotage actions after the occupation of the German Reich. Hülchrath housed the largest "training facility".
In 1995, the park grounds were redesigned for the State Garden Show.
Complex+
The round floor plan of the core castle suggests an original motte-and-bailey castle.
In the 14th century, a multi-tower complex with an outer bailey and a double moat was built over the motte, significant parts of which have been preserved to this day. In contrast to most other Rhenish moated castles, later changes have left the medieval character of the complex still recognizable, which means that Hülchrath Castle can be counted among the best-preserved medieval moated castles in the Rhineland.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://www.zeche.org/
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 51.1232, 6.6584