Heeswijk Castle ( nl, Kasteel Heeswijk) 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 ...
near
Heeswijk
Heeswijk is a Dutch village. It is located in the province of North Brabant, in the south of the Netherlands.
History
The village was first mentioned in the 12th century as "Albertus de Essuic", and means "settlement in the shrubbery". Heeswijk ...
in the
Dutch province of
North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the we ...
.
Location
Heeswijk Castle was built on a meander of the small
River Aa. The 20th century canalized Aa now flows at some distance of the Castle. However, in the early decades of the 21st century the original bed of the Aa closer to the castle, was restored and now gets enough water. The Aa was crucial for transporting heavy goods between
's-Hertogenbosch
s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...
and
Helmond
Helmond (; called ''Héllemond'' in the local dialect) is a city and municipality in the Metropoolregio Eindhoven of the province of North Brabant in the Southern Netherlands.
Helmond is home to several textile and metal companies. The Vlisco fa ...
, and perhaps even somewhat higher upstream. This gave an economic reason to build the castle on the river. On the other hand, the Aa was a barrier for east–west movement, especially by armies. This also gave the castle a strategic position, which it would keep for centuries.
The Building
![Heeswijk_(V-002)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Heeswijk_%28V-002%29.jpg)
The main castle has been built on top of an old
motte
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...
. In the cellar there is a
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
layer containing fragments of
bog iron
Bog iron is a form of impure iron deposit that develops in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in solution. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite (FeO(OH)).
Iron-bea ...
and
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
, remnants of the first castle. There are also 14th century wall fragments visible in the cellars. Here the outer walls reach a thickness of three meters. Aboveground most of the main castle is 15th and 16th century, but the semi-circular form of the older parts still betrays its motte origin. The old part has two round towers on the corners, and one old overhanging tower. The bridge leading to the inner courtyard ends on the base of a disappeared square gate tower.
The big round tower, the gallery connected to it, and the armory to which the gallery connects are all nineteenth century additions. This is also the case for the round tower pasted to the eastern façade. Nevertheless, the big tower was built on top of older foundation. Therefore, these additions probably did not enlarge the ground plan of the castle that much, even though they may have made it more square.
The
outer bailey
An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...
is a fine example of sixteenth century construction. It was built of alternating rows of brick and stone, creating a striped façade. It also has nice features like
stepped gables and
cross-window
A cross-window is a window whose lights are defined by a mullion and a transom, forming a cross.Curl, James Stevens (2006). ''Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture'', 2nd ed., OUP, Oxford and New York, p. 214. .
The Late ...
s. The bailey is surrounded a wall in the same striped façade style.
History
Medieval times
The original motte-and-bailey castle was erected in 1080. The first mentioned Lord of Heeswijk was Amelricus van Heeswijk mentioned in the twelfth century. Later that century a Hubertus van Heeswijk was mentioned.
In the thirteenth the Lords that gave their name to the castle were succeeded by Walraven of Bentheim from the family of the
Counts of Bentheim
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
. Walraven was still alive in 1308. That year Count Jan of Megen was in control of the lordship, and he remained so till his death in about 1346. After that Jan van Bentheim grandson of Walraven, became Lord of Heeswijk.
In a 1359 act
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Luxembourg
Wenceslaus I (also ''Wenceslas'', ''Venceslas'', ''Wenzel'', or ''Václav'', often called Wenceslaus of Bohemia in chronicles) (25 February 1337 – 7 December 1383) was the first Duke of Luxembourg from 1354. He was the son of John the Blind, ...
and his wife
Joanna, Duchess of Brabant
Joanna, Duchess of Brabant (24 June 1322 – 1 December 1406), also known as Jeanne, was a ruling Duchess (Duke) of Brabant from 1355 until her death. She was duchess of Brabant until the occupation of the duchy by her brother-in-law Louis II of ...
declared that Heeswijk and half of Dinther were within Brabant, but that Jan van Benthem had joined the war against
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was a historic territory in the Low Countries.
From 862 onwards, the counts of Flanders were among the original twelve peers of the Kingdom of France. For centuries, their estates around the cities of Ghent, Bruges and Ypr ...
voluntarily. That is, his goods were
allod In the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, an allod (Old Low Franconian ''allōd'' ‘fully owned estate’, from ''all'' ‘full, entire’ and ''ōd'' ‘estate’, Medieval Latin ''allodium ...
, i.e. not on loan from anybody. (The other half of Dinther was owned by Jan van Berlaer, Lord of Helmond). Such a voluntary involvement did create enemies, and in 1371 and 1372 Heeswijk Castle was attacked by
Guelders
The Duchy of Guelders ( nl, Gelre, french: Gueldre, german: Geldern) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.
Geography
The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in pr ...
and the
Duchy of Jülich
The Duchy of Jülich (german: Herzogtum Jülich; nl, Hertogdom Gulik; french: Duché de Juliers) comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay west of the Rhine river and was bordered by th ...
.
Jan van Benthem could maintain himself in Heeswijk, and so he 'sold' to Knight Dirk de Rover in 1374. Walraven of Bentheim son of Jan regained the estate in 1379, and so the transaction might not have been a final sale. Walraven sold the lordship to Willem van der Aa.
Willem van der Aa was
schepen A schepen (Dutch; . ') or échevin (French) or Schöffe (German) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands. It has been replaced by the ' in the Netherlands (a municipal executive).
In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''éch ...
of 's-Hertogenbosch in 1388, 1392 and 1401. He was also a knight, and Lord of
Nieuw-Herlaer Castle
Nieuw-Herlaer Castle is a manor in Sint-Michielsgestel, the Netherlands. It contains a tower which was part of the preceding castle.
Location
Nieuw-Herlaar Castle is on the east bank of the Dommel, about a hundred meters from the hamlet Halde ...
. He fought in the 1371
Battle of Baesweiler
The Battle of Baesweiler (22 August 1371) was a conflict between the duke of Luxembourg-Brabant against the Duke of Jülich.
Background
Attacks on Brabant's commercial interests in the territory of the Duke of Jülich had almost caused war in 13 ...
, and was captured and ransomed during that war. In 1387 he made the Lordship of Heeswijk and half of Dinther a loan of Brabant, and then also received the other half of Dinther. In 1398 Guelders troops burned down the villages of Heeswijk and Dinther, but could not conquer the castle. Willem van der Aa sold the Lordship of Heeswijk and Dinther in 1405. By 1409 he was dead.
Knight Hendrick van der Lek (1354–1427) would become the next lord. His father was the influential
John II, Lord of Polanen
John III, Lord of Polanen ( – 3 November 1378 in Breda) was Lord of Polanen, Lord of De Lek and Lord of Breda.
Life
He was a son of John I, Lord of Polanen and Catherine of Brederode. Polanen Castle near Monster was the ancestral seat ...
(c. 1325–1378). As a younger son Hendrick did not succeed to the main part of his father's estate, which included the Lordship of Breda. In 1401 he was imprisoned by the citizens of 's-Hertogenbosch. It led to a conflict which ended with the Duchess paying a ransom for him. In 1405 Hendrick bought Heeswijk and Dinther. Hendrick became
Hofmeister of
John IV, Duke of Brabant
John IV, Duke of Brabant (11 June 1403 – 17 April 1427) was the son of Antoine of Burgundy, Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg and his first wife Jeanne of Saint-Pol. He was the second Brabantian ruler from the House of Valois. He is b ...
. He also fought for his master, and was a member of the
Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady The Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady (Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap) was a religious confraternity founded in 1318 in 's-Hertogenbosch to promote the veneration of the Mother of God. The brotherhood was organized around a carved wood ...
in 's-Hertogenbosch. Hendrick first married Maria of Diest, which marriage remained childless. He next married Joanna of Ghistelles.
Hendrick van der Lek had two daughters by Joanna of Ghistelles. The oldest, Jeanne became Lady of Heeswijk and Dinther in 1427. She married Jan van Cuyck Lord of Hoogstraten. Jeanne did without offspring in 1454 and was buried in 's-Hertogenbosch. The younger daughter Elselina married Eustache de Bousies lord of Vertaing, Feluy, Gosselies, Rommeries etc. in 1446.
Their second son Pieter de Bousies lord of Vertaing would inherit all of his aunt Jeanne's estate. In 1471 he was appointed as high
schout
In Dutch-speaking areas, a ''schout'' was a local official appointed to carry out administrative, law enforcement and prosecutorial tasks. The office was abolished with the introduction of administrative reforms during the Napoleonic period.
Fun ...
of 's-Hertogenbosch and the
Meierij
The Meierij van 's-Hertogenbosch (; Dutch for "Bailiwick of 's-Hertogenbosch") was one of the four parts of the Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate o ...
, but his investment was prevented by him not having been born in the Meierij. In 1473 he married for the second time, to Margaretha of Culemborg heiress of Jan van Culemborg Lord of Boxmeer and Spalbeek. Pieter led the militia of 's-Hertogenbosch in many wars against Guelders. In one of these he died near
Heerewaarden
Heerewaarden is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Maasdriel, and lies about 8 km south of Tiel.
Heerewaarden was a separate municipality until 1999, except for a short period between 1818 and 1 ...
on 22 April 1479.
Margaretha of Culemborg, widow of Pieter de Bousies remarried to Willem van Egmond Stadholder of Guelders. Their daughter Anna brought Boxmeer, Haps, Stevensweert and Spalbeek to the Counts of 's-Heerenberg by marrying Willem III van den Bergh. The property of Pieter de Bousies could did not move with his widow, but was inherited by his sisters: Margaretha, Anthonia, Johanna and Isabella. The first three sisters died as a member of a religious order. In 1485 the Count of Oettingen became lord of Heeswijk and Dinther on account of his wife being a daughter of Isabella.
16th century
Cornelis of Glymes Cornelis of Glymes or Cornelis of Bergen (1 April 1458 – 1508/1509) was an Admiral of the Netherlands.
He was born in Wouw, the second son of John II of Glymes (1417–1494), Lord of Bergen op Zoom, and his wife Margaretha of Rouveroy. His eld ...
called 'De Berges' (1458-1508/1509) Lord of Zevenbergen became the next lord by purchase in 1499. Cornelis fought in the Battle of Tienen in 1482. He was the Hofmeister of
Philip the Fair, and became a Knight of the
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...
in 1500. In 1513 Cornelis became governor of Grave. He also became lord of Melun and Grevenbroeck. He married Maria Magdalena van Strijen lady of Zevenbergen, Noordeloos, Heemskerk and Capelle aan de IJssel. All of which were added to his estate.
After the death of Cornelis de Glymes most of his estate went to his sons, and finally his younger sister Maria de Glymes married to Louis de Ligne Baron of Barbançon. The Lordship of Heeswijk and Dinther first went to Cornelis' oldest son Maximilian. He was invested in December 1509. During his rule the Guelders army invaded and burned the area in 1512–1513, but did not succeed in capturing Heeswijk Castle.
Maximilian was succeeded by his brother Leonard de Glymes, who became lord in 1521. He died in 1523 and was succeeded by his younger brother
Corneille of Berghes
Corneille of Berghes or de Glymes-Berghes (1490?–1560?) was Prince-bishop of Liège between 1538 and 1544.
Corneille of Berghes was the youngest son of Cornelis of Glymes, Admiral of the Netherlands and Maria Margaretha van Zevenbergen. First ...
(1490?-1560?), prince bishop of Liège in 1538. Corneille sold Heeswijk and Dinther in 1555 to
Johan I of East Frisia
Johan I of East Frisia (1506–1572) was a member of the house of Cirksena and a non-reigning Count of East Frisia and later imperial governor of Limburg. His father, Edzard the Great, had introduced primogeniture in the county of East Frisia, ...
, a non-ruling count of that house. For 60,000 guilders the count also got: a watermill in Middelrooy and a windmill in Schijndel with the farm of Veerdonc and others.
Johan married Dorothea of Austria (1516–1572) a bastard of
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself El ...
, heiress of Falkenburg, Durbuy and Halem, lady in waiting to Queen Maria of Hungary.
The Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War reached the environs on 's-Hertogenbosch in 1572-1573 when first
Gorinchem
Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland
South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of Oc ...
and
Zaltbommel
Zaltbommel (), also known, historically and colloquially, as Bommel, is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands.
History
The city of Zaltbommel
The town of Zaltbommel was first mentioned as "Bomela" in the year 850. Zaltbommel received ...
, and then
Geertruidenberg
Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered un ...
joined the Dutch Republic. In 1578 Heeswijk Castle got a Republican garrison of 20 men under Jaques de Wale. The mighty fortress 's-Hertogenbosch finally joined the Spanish side in 1579. For the defense of the countryside it then had to rely on a string of castles and sconces and a few small cities. Heeswijk Castle had switched sides by the end of 1579, and was one of these.
Maximilian of Ostfriesland (1553-1591?), son of Johan and Dorothea became lord of Heeswijk and Dinther in 1574. Maximilian was governor and captain-general of Luxembourg. He married Barabara de Lalaing, sister of the stadholder of Groningen. Maximilian at first succeeded in taking responsibility for Heeswijk's defense. He had a son Werner and a daughter named Dorothea. Werner succeeded his father. He was married to Johanna of Merode Houfalize. in 1599 the governor of 's-Hertogenbosch took command of the castle.
On 1 November 1601 the army of
Maurice of Nassau
Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was '' stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince ...
appeared before Heeswijk Castle. As usual the garrison was summoned to surrender. The subsequent refusal to surrender was kind of exceptional for a castle. An assault followed, but was repealed. A few days later the castle was found to be deserted. This was not so strange, because the garrison could not expect quarter after this. In the end 's-Hertogenbosch and Heeswijk stayed on the Spanish sided till the 1609 truce.
Near the end of the
Twelve Years' Truce
The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like France began treating the Republic as a sovereign n ...
(1609-1621) new rulers were appointed at Heeswijk. Werner of Ostfriesland died in 1620, and left only a bastard Maria. His sister Dorothea married lieutenant general James 't Serclaes (?-1624) older brother of
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly and got Jan Werner. Jan Werner 't Serclaes Count of Tilly, Bannerman of Marbaix, Lord of Montigny (?-1668) became the next Lord of Heeswijk and Dinther in 1621. Maria of Ostfriesland, the bastard of Werner also acceded in 1621.
In 1629
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...
captured Heeswijk Castle and 's-Hertogenbosch. Maria of Ostfriesland married Hendrik van den Berg, and died in 1633. Jan Werner 't Serclaes then also succeeded to her part in 1633. He became the prime heir to his famous uncle. On 14 March 1633 Jan Werner married Maria Françoise de Montmorency, but the next generation of the Tilly's would not get Heeswijk, in 1647 it was sold.
17th and 18th century
On 20 April 1647 Dirk van Cattenburgh, presiding schepen of 's-Hertogenbosch and Joost van Hedickhuysen, Lord of Eckart bought the Lordship of Heeswijk and Dinther. Dirk had been schepen of 's-Hertogenbosch 1640-1643 and in 1646 he became presiding schepen. He died in 1653. Joost van Hedickhuysen was of unknown origin. He lived at close by Seldensate Manor, but died already in October 1647.
Jonkheer Matthijs van Asperen, captain in the Dutch army then bought Heeswijk and Dinther in 1649 and became the official lord in May 1650. Matthijs later became a colonel and commander of 's-Hertogenbosch. In 1655 he gave a guarantee on Heeswijk to his creditor Geraert Maes, a jeweller from The Hague. In 1672 the
French king
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
stayed at Heeswijk Castle during his campaign against the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
. Geraert Maes' widow Elisabeth Lasson became the next proprietor in 1679. In 1684 Jacobus van der Hoeven succeeded to Heeswijk. He married Agatha Briel, related to the Van Beresteyn's (cf. Maurick Castle) and died in 1691. His widow succeeded. In 1699 their son Jacob van der Hoeven became Lord of Heeswijk. He was in turn succeeded by his son Jacob, who became lord in 1719 and who died in 1739.
Mr. Cornelis Speelman became the next lord in 1740, because he had married Jacob's sister Agatha van der Hoeven in 1716. Cornelis was a grandson of
Cornelis Speelman
Cornelis Janszoon Speelman (2 March 1628 – 11 January 1684) was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1681 to 1684.
Cornelis Janszoon Speelman was the son of a Rotterdam merchant. He was born on 2 March 1628. In his 16th year, he left a ...
(1628-1684),
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies ( nl, gouverneur-generaal van Nederlands Indië) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese fo ...
. Cornelis became schepen in 's-Hertogenbosch, and died in 1746. He was succeeded by mr. Jacob Speelman (1722-1787), who made an impressive career in Leiden. In 1788 he was succeeded by his son mr. Cornelis Jacob Speelman (1747-1825). During his tenure the French general
Pichegru
Jean-Charles Pichegru (, 16 February 1761 – 5 April 1804) was a French general of the Revolutionary Wars. Under his command, French troops overran Belgium and the Netherlands before fighting on the Rhine front. His royalist positions led to h ...
used the castle as his headquarters. The French period also meant the abolition of the feudal rights. Cornelis Jacob was succeeded by his son Abraham Florentius (1784-1840), but in 1834 the family sold their property in Heeswijk and Dinther.
Collector Baron van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge
In 1834, Baron
Andreas van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge, governor of North Brabant, bought Heeswijk Castle, which by then had fallen into disrepair. He immediately started reconstruction works on a large scale. The castle was also enlarged with an
armory
Armory or armoury may mean:
* An arsenal, a military or civilian location for the storage of arms and ammunition
Places
*National Guard Armory, in the United States and Canada, a training place for National Guard or other part-time or regular mili ...
. He also added the so-called 'Iron Tower'. Here the growing collection of art objects and curiosities collected by the baron and his sons, Louis and Donat was stored. In 1836 Van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge and six others founded the , a society that would grow to become the
Noordbrabants Museum
Het Noordbrabants Museum is an art museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
History
The Provincial Society for Arts and Sciences
''Het Provinciaal Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen in Noord-Brabant'' (Provincial society for arts and ...
.
The Museum
The castle was restored in 2005. The current castle museum attempts to reflect the life and traditions of the middle of the 19th century. Following the recent restorations, guided tours of the castle are offered.
The armory of the castle is used as a wedding location by the municipality
Bernheze
Bernheze () is a municipality in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. It was formed as a rename of Heesch in 1995. The municipalities of Heeswijk-Dinther and Nistelrode had merged into Heesch in 1994.
Etymology
The municip ...
. Under the promenade cellar roofs (wedding) receptions can be held and the
carriage house
A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.
In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open f ...
of the castle accommodates training facilities as well as congress and presentation rooms.
See also
*
List of castles in the Netherlands
This is a list of castles in the Netherlands per province.
Overview of castles in the Netherlands
Drenthe
See also ''List of havezates in Drenthe''
Flevoland
Friesland
See ''List of stins in Friesland''
Gelderland
Groningen
See ''List o ...
References
*
*
*
Notes
External links
Castle Heeswijkextensive website (in Dutch).
TV series De Wandeling, Season 1by Omroep Brabant in (in Dutch). The cellars and exterior.
TV series De Wandeling, Season 6by Omroep Brabant in (in Dutch). Mostly about the interior.
{{Authority control
Dutch culture
Historic house museums in the Netherlands
Castles in North Brabant
Museums in North Brabant
Rijksmonuments in North Brabant
Bernheze