Leye Castle

The history of the Leye estate began in 1679 when Johann Adolf Count of Tecklenburg sold the agricultural area to Otto Heinrich and Hermann Philipp von Oer. In 1680, Franz Ostman, a Privy Councillor and Vice-Chancellor to the Prince-Bishop, acquired the property. In 1703, he had the current manor house, including the two side outbuildings, constructed. For his services, he was granted the hereditary imperial noble title “von der Leye” in 1705. Franz Ostman designated Leye as the family seat in his will in 1709, and it remained in the Ostman von der Leye family. In the early 20th century, under Clemens-August Freiherr Ostman von der Leye, the estate underwent renovations and expansions, including the redesign of the hall, the raising of the roof truss, and the conversion of the side wings.