Ehreshoven Castle (german: Schloss Ehreshoven) is a
moated castle
A water castle is a castle whose site is largely defended by water. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle ...
in
Engelskirchen
Engelskirchen (literally "angel’s churches") is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, about east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities are (clockwise from the west) Overath, Lindlar, Gummersbach, Wie ...
,
Oberbergischer Kreis
The Oberbergischer Kreis ( ksh, Boverbärjische Kreiß) is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Ennepe-Ruhr, Märkischer Kreis, Olpe, Altenkirchen, Rhein-Sieg, Rheinisch-Bergischer Krei ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is located near the village of Ehreshoven, about by road east of
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
. Several kilometres to the northwest is
Georghausen Castle
Georghausen Castle (german: Schloss Georghausen) is a moated castle in the district of Georghausen of the municipality of Lindlar, Oberbergischer Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, N ...
.
History
The castle was originally owned by
Siegburg Abbey, which had been founded in 1164 by
Archbishop Anno of Cologne. Ehreshoven was first mentioned in 1355 when it existed as a house or small castle.
In 1396 it was given to the family of the count of Nesselrode and stayed in their possession until 1920.
![Ehreshoven](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Ehreshoven.jpg)
Under Wilhelm of Nesselrode, the house was essentially remodelled and the medieval chapel built into the structure in 1595.
At the end of the 17th century, Philipp Wilhelm Christoph von Nesselrode and his wife built a new house integrating just the chapel and the northern part of the original castle. The three-winged manor house and the big four-winged front house were built at this time. In the early 18th century, a French garden was installed in the north of the castle which is mainly intact today.
The last owner was Marie Countess of
Nesselrode
The House of Nesselrode is an ancient German noble family originating in the Duchy of Berg. Over the centuries, the family expanded their possessions through marriage with the most powerful families of the region. As a former ruling family they ...
who died unmarried in 1920 and bequeathed the whole estate to the ''Rheinische Ritterschaft''.
In 1924, they transformed it into a charitable foundation for Cannonesses. Only parts of the original medieval buildings remain at the rear of the castle of today. The chapel is part of the original buildings incorporated into the present manor house. In 1990, the whole manor house was renovated from the outside and the original building was repainted in a light yellow colour.
In the TV series ''
Verbotene Liebe
''Verbotene Liebe'' (, "Forbidden Love") was a German television soap opera created by Reg Watson for Das Erste. The show was set primarily in the German city of Düsseldorf although, at times, the city of Cologne and the Spanish island of Mal ...
'', the castle was the residence of the fictional Count
Johannes von Lahnstein
''Verbotene Liebe'' (, "Forbidden Love") was a German television soap opera created by Reg Watson for Das Erste. The show was set primarily in the German city of Düsseldorf although, at times, the city of Cologne and the Spanish island of ...
, one of the richest men in Germany.
References
External links
Stift EhreshovenMaterial zu Schloss Ehreshovenin der Sammlung Duncker der Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (PDF; 226 kB)
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in 1355
Buildings and structures completed in 1595
Castles in North Rhine-Westphalia
Buildings and structures in Oberbergischer Kreis