Horst Castle
[1] During its construction in the 16th century, it ranked among the largest four-winged castle complexes north of the Alps,[2] significantly influencing the architectural style of the Lippe Renaissance.
In the aftermath of the second fire, the owner at the time, Rütger von der Horst, chose to rebuild the castle fully, resulting in its completion in 1578.
The von Fürstenberg family, owner of the castle at the time, attempted to salvage the valuable façade decoration and high-quality architectural sculptures, referred to as the stone treasure, by storing the fragments.
Since 1363, they have been referenced as feudatories of the Counts of Cleves and successfully maintained their property's independence against the nearby Archbishopric of Cologne for an extended period.
[7] Rütger von der Horst swore allegiance to the Archbishop of Cologne, which led to the incorporation of the once-independent lordship into the Vest Recklinghausen of the archbishopric.
Rütger's heiress daughter, Margarethe, transferred the castle to the von Loë family of Palsterkamp und Geist through her marriage in 1582.
[18] During that period, the castle comprised a principal building, a polygonal tower measuring 6 to 6.5 metres in diameter,[19] and two additional wooden outbuildings located at the base of the hill.
[22][30] After Rütger von der Horst took ownership of the castle in 1549, he described the complex as desolate and of poor appearance ("Item so ych myne behusynge gans woste und ungestalt yn myner bestetnyß gehadt" - "Likewise, I have taken my dwelling into my possession completely neglected and run-down").
From 1571 onwards, Rütger funded the interior design of his castle using the proceeds from his lucrative investment in a salt and peat company based in West Frisia.
[34] According to Johannsen's plans, a closed four-wing complex was to be built, with slightly projecting square corner towers topped with Welsh bonnets, a feature unusual for that time.
[36] Disagreements between the client and Arnt Johannsen led Rütger von der Horst to involve other craftsmen more extensively in the planning of his castle,[37] and the Arnhem resident eventually left the building site in 1567.
[33] Laurenz von Brachum, a native of Wesel, had assumed some of his responsibilities since 1563/64 when he started as a stonemason on the Horst building site on 23 September 1558.
Von Brachum received assistance from Heinrich Vernukken from Kalkar and his son Wilhelm for the sculptural decoration of the castle, influenced by the Dutch Mannerist style.
The intricate sculptural decorations and friezes, showcasing numerous detailed and unique ornaments and reliefs, gave birth to the art-historical term Lippe Renaissance.
[41] Previous publications suggested that the remaining, younger wings of the building had a different appearance because they were constructed under the direction of the Frenchman Joist de la Cour.
[42] However, the construction diaries do not provide any evidence for this assumption, as contemporary records indicate that de la Cour had only been responsible for painting work from 1563 onwards.
[47] After acquiring the complex, the barons of Fürstenberg had extensive repair and renovation work carried out between 1706 and 1721, much of it due to the acute risk of collapse.
King Frederick William IV of Prussia's plans to purchase the stone decoration from Horst House during the mid-19th century resulted in 23 pictorial representations of the palace, known as the Potsdamer Blätter.
[12] By order of the Prussian Regional Council in Münster, the eastern tower with walls up to 2.2 meters thick and the adjacent residential wing were demolished in 1853/54.
[45] As part of this, the basement of the manor house wing, which had been filled in during the 19th century to protect the building's status, was uncovered, and a restaurant was established in the vaulted cellars according to plans by the architect Paul Sültenfuß.
[45] At the urging of the Horst Castle Support Association, founded in 1985, the city of Gelsenkirchen purchased the compound in 1988 with funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia to prevent its total decay.
For instance, the excavators discovered remains of the previous edifice and an innovative water and waste management infrastructure comprising a tank, well, and various pits and shafts, some of which were multi-tiered.
The winning design by Frankfurt architect Jochem Jourdan was employed to renovate the palace from 1994 to 1999 and partially reconstruct it, integrating some of the existing historical building components.
During the construction work, which received financial assistance from the North Rhine-Westphalian state government and cost approximately £10 million, extensions and additions from the 20th century were also eliminated.
In contrast to older publications, excavations in the 1990s showed that Horst Castle is not a pile foundation, but rests only on several layers of roughly hewn sandstone.
Adjacent to the entrance wing lies a free-standing archway built of rusticated ashlars, which represents the only surviving element of the former gatehouse.
It derives its name from a scenic depiction on its front lintel, illustrating Ezekiel's vision of the resurrection of the dead on the Last Day.
While it is a partial reconstruction from preserved original fragments, it is named after its front relief, which portrays Diana punishing the pregnant nymph, Callisto.
The art historian Richard Klapheck coined the term "Lippe Renaissance" to describe the features of Horst Castle, which not only inspired this movement but is also regarded as a crucial building.
[79] Over the years, the Fürstenberg family, who were the owners of the castle for an extended period, managed to preserve various elements of the façade decoration, including parts of portals and fireplaces.
