Lembeck Castle
It is located in the Hohe Mark Nature Park and surrounded by the "Hagen" and "Kippheide" forests to the south of the Dorsten district of Lembeck in the northwest of the Recklinghausen region.
[1] The Lembeck meadow stream has been dammed on the castle grounds to form a rectangular pond that spans an area of 190 × 160 meters, encircling the entire complex.
[2] The Baroque palace complex exhibits a symmetrical structure, defined by a rectilinear east-west axis that extends for a length of 500 meters.
[2] The outer bailey comprises two wings and a one-story façade 110 meters wide, interrupted by a two-story gatehouse made of ashlar sandstone.
[5] This design element allowed arriving guests to enter the building without getting wet during rainy weather, while their carriages were either turned or parked in the courtyard.
On the side facing the inner courtyard, the façade of the mansion features a Renaissance bay window supported by double curved sandstone consoles.
[10] Unlike other Baroque castles, the interior layout of Lembeck does not follow the typical hierarchical arrangement of rooms centered around a central hall.
Instead, the interior design adopts the cabinet system in Enfilade, which features a series of interconnected rooms following French models.
According to a floor plan from 1779, two dressing rooms were positioned on the south side of the chamber, indicating its previous function as a parade bedroom.
The bedroom in Lembeck Castle has a remarkable architectural feature in the form of a grand, classicist stucco rosette adorning its ceiling.
A cylindrical stove made of cast iron replaced the previous fireplace in the 18th century, reflecting the changing trends in heating technology during that time.
The small hall, the sole room on the mezzanine level, contains three windows that allow ample natural light to fill the space.
On the west wall hangs a portrait of Goswin von Merveldt, Grand Prior of the Order of Malta for Germany and Imperial Prince at Heitersheim.
[19] Designed by the renowned architect Johann Conrad Schlaun, the grand banqueting hall exemplifies the late Baroque style.
It was restored in both 1954 and 1973, and today it showcases a delicate palette of pastel shades, encompassing gentle tones of green, yellow, and pink.
After reconstruction work from 1674 to 1692, a baroque garden based on the French model with symmetrical path axes was laid out to the west of the castle according to designs by August Reinking.
Despite the best efforts of Bernhard II and his son Matthias, who succeeded him as lord mayor, the region suffered greatly due to the war's events.
Johann was compelled to sell the castle complex in 1631 to his relative Bernhard von Westerholt zu Hackfort, who belonged to the Dutch branch of the family.
[1] During the Thirty Years' War, Bernhard von Westerholt zu Hackfort fought on the side of the Catholic League rising to the rank of colonel in the imperial army.
[1] However, this news did not reach the newly crowned baron at his castle in Lembeck, because he had to flee from the troops of Landgrave Wilhelm V. of Hesse-Kassel to a family estate in Haselünne.
In 1708, Maria Josepha Anna married Ferdinand Dietrich Freiherr von Merveldt zu Westerwinkel, a member of the Wolbeck Drosten family, who was later elevated to the rank of Reichsgraf (Imperial Count) in 1726.
Lembeck Castle underwent a significant transformation and obtained its current form under the supervision of Dietrich Conrad Adolf von Westerholt-Lembeck.
He is honored by the splendid Schlaun Hall in the north wing of the main structure, which features late Baroque furnishings created by him.
[26] As a result, the south wing of the outer bailey was converted for residential purposes in 1958, while the castle owners needed quieter accommodation.
Schlaun's bridge piers to the garden, for example, were rebuilt in 1969, and in 1977, a grey plaster was added to the red bricks of the chapel tower to imitate previous times.
The preserved parts of the Lords of Lembeck's original residential tower or hall chamber house in the north wing have a thickness of up to 2.30 meters.
The museum showcases the owners’ 300 years old collection of art, including Chinese porcelain, Flemish tapestries, paintings, and furniture from the Rococo and Empire/Biedermeier periods.
It exhibits handicraft and agricultural tools, as well as everyday objects from the past, giving visitors a glimpse into bygone times.
[30] The basement of the main house, which used to be the castle kitchen, now serves as a gallery exhibiting paintings by Hanns Hubertus Graf von Merveldt.
[32] In addition to the gardens, there is a playground and a petting zoo on the park's grounds that amuse the younger guests, while the older ones can relax at the rentable barbecue area.
