Schloss Rheydt is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

palace in

Rheydt Rheydt () is a borough of the Germany, German city Mönchengladbach, located in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia. Until 1918 and then again from 1933 (due to a split from Mönchengladbach arranged by Joseph Goebbels, who was born there) through ...

Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, the territory of Mönchengladbac ...

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 ...

. Over the years the building has been the family seat of various noble families, including the Bylandt-Rheydt dynasty that ruled over

for over 300 years and gave the palace its present look.

History

Originally a castle dating from 1060, the palace has evolved over the years to become the palace it is today. The castle's first documented mention dates to 1180, made by the

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 ...

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to: * Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC) * Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC) * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor * Philip I of France (1052–1108) * Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...

when he mentioned revenues that were to be collected from the then castle owner, the Lord of Rheydt, in his correspondence. The first Lord of the castle mentioned by name is William of Heppendorf. Otto von Bylandt had the existing exterior facade created by Maximilian Pasqualini (1534–1572), son of the Italian architect

Alessandro Pasqualini Alessandro Pasqualini (5 May 1493 – 1559) was an Italian Renaissance architect and engineer, born in Bologna, who helped bring Renaissance architecture to the Low Countries. He was hired by Floris van Egmond, the count of Buren and lord of ...

. Pasqualini renovated in the style of his father, adding

casemates A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" mean ...

and

bastions A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...

and creating a moat around the palace. Pasqualini also considerably renovated the interior by adding fireplaces, statues, and various paintings. Most of Pasqualini's work remains in very good condition. Throughout the 19th century, the palace changed hands many times. However, the owners were unable to maintain the palace due to the upkeep costs. Gradually the palace fell into disrepair. The palace was purchased by the town of

from the last private owner in 1917. From the years of 1933 to 1945

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

was an honorary citizen of

and frequently would live there over that period of time. Since then the palace has undergone some restoration (1988–1993) and vast parts of Schloss Rheydt have been converted into museum areas and reopened. The palace was awarded the

European Museum of the Year Award The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) is presented each year by the European Museum Forum ( EMF) under the auspices of the Council of Europe. The EMYA is considered the most important annual award in the European museum sector. History ...

by the European Museum Forum in 1978. An annual medieval festival as well as an annual music festival, the so-called "Sommermusik Schloss Rheydt", also takes place at Schloss Rheydt.

Reference list

External links

Städtisches Museum Schloss Rheydt

Site history
{{Authority control Renaissance architecture in Germany Buildings and structures in Mönchengladbach Palaces in North Rhine-Westphalia Museums in North Rhine-Westphalia Historic house museums in Germany Water castles in North Rhine-Westphalia