Ippenburg Castle

Ippenburg Castle is a neo-Gothic aristocratic residence in the Lockhausen district of Bad Essen in the Osnabrück district (Lower Saxony). It has been owned by the von dem Bussche-Ippenburg family for more than 600 years.

The current castle had two predecessors: a fortified castle from the late Middle Ages transitioning into the early modern period, and a Baroque manor house built after the Thirty Years' War.

Fortified Castle

The first building dates from the end of the 14th century. Knight Johann von dem Bussche built a castle with loopholes, surrounded by a moat and accessible only via a drawbridge. Between the castle moat and another outer moat, he had a fortified rampart constructed. The castle, built around an inner courtyard, was equipped with living quarters for knights and squires, a kitchen, chapel, armory, knight's hall and library, squire's room, and guest rooms. This castle existed until 1811. It was demolished due to dilapidation.

Manor House

North of the first castle, the von dem Bussche family had already built a two-winged Baroque manor house on the site of the current castle after the Thirty Years' War. This also contained a house chapel, whose bell from 1724 still exists. Lightning destroyed the Baroque gable on the main wing of the manor house in 1756. In 1862, the manor house was also demolished because it was infested with dry rot.

Neo-Gothic Castle

Count Wilhelm von dem Bussche had the current neo-Gothic castle, with more than a hundred rooms, built from Ibbenbüren sandstone on the foundations of the manor house between 1862 and 1867. In the 1930s, it was extensively renovated by Hermann Graf von dem Bussche and his wife Vera Gräfin von dem Bussche. The castle was equipped with central heating; bathrooms were installed. The neo-Gothic furnishings were preserved. Further renovations were carried out in the 1960s. For example, the roof was re-covered. In the 1980s, the tower roofs received copper cladding, and the weather vane was gilded. The representative entrance hall and the windows were renovated in the 1990s.