Anholt Castle ( or ) is a monumental moated castle and former princely seat in the municipality of Isselburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, close to the Dutch border where the Münsterland meets the Lower Rhine region. First documented in the late 12thâ¯century as a strategic stronghold of the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, it developed into the imperially immediate Lordship of Anholt during the Middle Ages and, fromâ¯1647, the hereditary residence of the princely House of Salm-Salm. Dominated by its massive round Dickeâ¯Turm keep and encircled by a broad waterâ¯defence fed by the river Issel, the complex is regarded as one of the largest and best preserved water castles in western Germany.
Architecturally, the present ensemble blends medieval foundations with a baroque remodelling carried out aroundâ¯1700, when Prince Charles Theodore of Salm transformed the medieval fortress into a stately home, added formal gardens and unified the façades under slate roofs. Although 70â¯percent destroyed in 1945, Schlossâ¯Anholt was meticulously restored and now serves a triple role as private residence, museum and leisure destination. Visitors can tour richly furnished state rooms, view the stateâÂÂs largest privately owned art collection (including works by Rembrandt, Janâ¯vanâ¯Goyen, and Gerardâ¯terâ¯Borch), stroll through reconstructed baroque and English landscape gardens, and enjoy amenities such as a hotel restaurant, wildlife park and golf courseâÂÂall of which make the castle a cultural landmark and economic hub for the region.
In 1169, a Lord ofâ¯Zuylen "ofâ¯Anholt" appears for the first time as a vassal of Utrecht bishop Godfrey van Rhenen. Historians therefore assume the water castle was built before that year. By the time of Stephanâ¯IVâ¯ofâ¯Zuylen (â â¯c.â¯1347), who freed AnholtâÂÂs inhabitants from serfdom on 25â¯Mayâ¯1347, the feudal tie to Utrecht had ended and the site had become an imperial immediate lordship within the Holy Roman Empire, later part of the Lower RhenishâÂÂWestphalian Circle.
When the Anholt branch of the Zuylens died out in 1380, castle and lordship passed via Herberga, daughter of Diederikâ¯II vanâ¯Zuylen, to her husband Hermannâ¯III of Gemen. In 1402, their daughter Margaretha married Gysbert of BronkhorstâÂÂBatenburg, handing Anholt to the Bronkhorst family; Emperor Sigismund confirmed their rights in 1431.
The Guelders Wars (1487â¯âÂÂâ¯1499) first thrust Anholt into the wider European power struggle between Duke Charles ofâ¯Egmond and the coalition of King later Emperor Maximilianâ¯I and John II, Duke ofâ¯Cleves. GysbertâÂÂs son Jakobâ¯Iâ¯vonâ¯Bronckhorst Batenburg, lord of Anholt, sided with Maximilian; Charles retaliated with an abortive coup against the castle inâ¯1499 and returned with a full siege inâ¯1512. After three monthsâÂÂa garrison weakened by plague and short suppliesâÂÂAnholt capitulated and remained a Guelders possession for a quarter century. Dietrichâ¯IIIâ¯vonâ¯Bronckhorst negotiated its recovery inâ¯1537, though only by paying heavy war contributions and granting Duke Charles open access; Emperor Charlesâ¯V absolved the lordship of these obligations three years later, restoring the familyâÂÂs hard won status as an immediate Imperial territory.
That immunity proved fragile. During the opening phase of the Eightyâ¯YearsâÂÂâ¯War, the Protestant Dutch Geuzen demanded AnholtâÂÂs adhesion to the Union ofâ¯Utrecht; Catholic lord Dietrichâ¯vonâ¯Bronckhorst refused andâÂÂtrusting in safe conductâÂÂopened the town gates for parley, only to see it looted and burned until relief forces from Duke William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg arrived. The Thirtyâ¯YearsâÂÂâ¯War brought a second cycle of occupation and plunder. Amid the turmoil, Emperor Ferdinandâ¯II elevated Dietrichâ¯IV and his brother Johannâ¯Jakob to Imperial Counts (1621), but the male line ended inâ¯1649. In anticipation, Dietrichâ¯IV had already transferred the county inâ¯1647 to his son in law Count Leopoldâ¯Philippâ¯Karlâ¯zuâ¯Salm, ushering in the continuous ownership of the Houseâ¯ofâ¯Salm Salm.
Under Prince Charles Theodore of Salm (1645âÂÂ1710) Anholt emerged from its war scarred shell as a fashionable Baroque-style residence. Betweenâ¯1697 andâ¯1703 the Milanese architect Tommaso Tommassini reshaped the outer bailey; aroundâ¯1700 the medieval keep gained its soaring slate clad spire, all façades were rendered and ruled to imitate ashlar, and a two storey garden pavilion opened the house to newly laid French parterres. Courtly ambition matched architecture: a distinguished picture gallery began to form.
With the death of CharlesâÂÂs Theodore son, prince Louis Otto the main branch of the princely House of Salm died out. His daughter, Dorothea married a distant cousin, count Nikolaus Leopold zu Salm-Salm, who was first elevated Duke of Hoogstraten and later Imperial prince of Salm-Salm by emperor Charles VI. Next to Anholt, the main princely residence was the abbeyâÂÂtown of Senones in the Vosges until revolutionary forces expelled them inâ¯1793. Further, there was Hoogstraten Castle (Gelmelslot) near Antwerpen.
Revolutionary upheavals redrew the map but left Anholt in princely hands. The lordship was merged with neighbouring Münster lands inâ¯1802 to create the micro state Principality ofâ¯Salm, annexed by Napoleonic France inâ¯1810 and awarded to Prussia at the Congress ofâ¯Vienna (1815). While sovereignty was lost, the Salm Salm family retained castle and estate, which today is one of the few large estates in Northâ¯RhineâÂÂWestphalia still privately owned.
During the Second World War, seventyâ¯percent of Anholt Castle was destroyed in spring 1945. The then-owner Prince Nikolaus Leopold zuâ¯SalmâÂÂSalm immediately began restoration of the castle and integrated tourism into the funding concept. In 1947 and 1950 the "Anholt Circle" of architectsâÂÂincluding Rudolf Wolters, Ernst Neufert, Friedrich Tamms and othersâÂÂmet here and offered ideas for rebuilding the town and castle.
The family again lives in the restored castle; large parts are open to the public. Besides the main house, visitors can tour the park (admission), stay in the onâÂÂsite hotel/restaurant with water pavilion and terraces, or play at the golf club.
The earliest (preâÂÂ1169) phase comprised the almost 11â¯metreâÂÂwide round keep ("Thickâ¯Tower"), a small dwelling in todayâÂÂs northâÂÂeast corner, and an oval curtain wall. The keepâÂÂs elevated entrance lay about 7â¯metres above present courtyard level; the dungeon was below. Built on swampy ground, the tufa walls stood on timber piles.
In the 14thâ¯century the inner bailey was greatly enlarged. Residential wings were added east and south of the original house; the west and north sides were still defensive walls with hexagonal turrets. In the 16th century those fronts were rebuilt for living space and two stairâÂÂtowers added.
Around 1700 Prince Charles Theodore, Prince of Salm remodelled Anholt into a representative baroque-style palace: the Thick Tower gained its present tall spire, all roofs were unified in slate, façades were rendered and scored to imitate ashlar, and a twoâÂÂstorey pavilion on the north side linked house and park.
The "Unterhof" dates to the first expansion; excavations show it already had todayâÂÂs footprint. Entry is still through the "Bellâ¯Tower", whose armorial stones of Emperorâ¯Charles Vâ¯(1540) and Duke Charles ofâ¯Egmondâ¯(1512) recall Guelders occupation. The bailey was rebuilt 1697âÂÂ1703 to plans by Milanese architect Tommaso Tommassini.
The first gardens (18thâ¯century) followed French formal designs. Fromâ¯1831, basis a commission of prince Florentin the Düsseldorf court gardener Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe â and fromâ¯1858 the English landscape architect Edward Milner â transformed parts into an English landscape garden, adding canals and ponds; the park was enlarged overall. Destroyed in 1945, the gardens were reconstructed 1962âÂÂ1995, partly in their original Baroque style.
Between 1892 andâ¯1900, prince Leopold zu Salm-Salm created the Leopoldâ¯Park, inspired by Lake Lucerne, with a miniature lake, artificial rocks and a Swiss chalet. Converted to a game reserve in the early 20th century and rebuilt after Second World War, it opened to the public inâ¯1966 as the Anholter Schweiz wildlife park.
Opened to the public in 1966, the main castle displays aristocratic life from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Highlights include the largest private painting collection in Northâ¯RhineâÂÂWestphaliaâÂÂwith works by Rembrandt (Diana Bathing with Actaeon and Callisto), Jan vanâ¯Goyen, Gerard ter Borch (portrait of Gesina ter Borch as a shepherdess), Lucas Cranach theâ¯Elder and othersâÂÂalongside period interiors, an armoury and extensive porcelain. Much was saved in the Second World War by storage in a mine tunnel.
The family archive also preserves the lead bullet that killed Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico onâ¯19 June 1867; his aide Felix Salm-Salm brought it home.
The 230â¯mò neoclassical library hall (completed 1860) is also accessible. Holdings include the dissolved Cistercian library of GroÃÂâÂÂBurlo, the BronckhorstâÂÂBatenburg collection (1400âÂÂ1650) and the SalmâÂÂSalm library (1650âÂÂpresent).
Anholt Castle has served as a set for the ZDF series Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989) and the ARD fairyâÂÂtale film Cinderella (2011, Sechs auf einen Streich).