In 1154 a Daniel of Orthen is witness to the transfer of rights on Park Abbey to Godfrey III, Count of Louvain.

In 1311 Jan van Meerwijk became a bondsman of Guelders for his alod, which consisted of the castle, outer bailey and some land.

Turning an alod into a fief was not favorable for the local lord, but happened more often in the area as Guelders and Brabant were encroaching on the Meuse.

The high jurisdiction of Empel en Meerwijk was a loan from Guelders via the Lord of Megen.

The form of the suspected motte has been made visible in the Castle park by placing a panna cage.

[4] 'To bind all the strongholds along the river Maas to his person in such a short period clearly indicated a deliberate and strategic military policy of Reinald II.

During this war Empel en Meerwijk Castle was occupied by Jan van Redelgem.

[6] Jan van Herlaar (>1383-<1413) Lord of Empel en Meerwijk was Gerard's son and successor.

[7] The Herlaer's of Empel en Meerwijk were generally too insignificant to choose sides in the many wars of the era.

[8] On the castle terrain the remains of a 10 by 7 m fourteenth century brick oven were recently found.

Empel was caught up in the many wars with Gelderland, but it is often not clear whether references relate to the castle or the village.

During the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) there are clear references to Empel en Meerwijk Castle.

[9] By the end of 1579 there were garrisons in the fortified church at Orthen, the convents of Koudewater and Annenborch in Rosmalen, the fort at Engelen, and the castle and sconce of Empel.

C. 3,000 Spanish next got stuck on a fragment of the southern Meuse dyke which included the village Empel (now 'Oud-Empel).

In March 1600 Maurice, Prince of Orange retook Fort Crèvecoeur and soon after he took Oud-Empel, Alem, Kessel, Lith and Lithijen.

[14] Maurice then ordered the Meuse dykes to be cut and the Dieze to be blocked, flooding the area of Empel en Meerwijk.

The list of lords and ladies of Empel en Meerwijk during the Eighty Years' War is as follows.

[16] The list of lords of Meerwijk during the last one and a half century of the ancien regime is as follows:[15] During the rule of Johan Willem Hannes a new manor was built in Dieskant at the east bank of the Dieze.

The terrain could obviously not be used to build houses, and so it became an outdoor activity park called Kasteelpark Empel.