Belgium Esen Castle

At the end of the 18th century, the pharmacist De Ruysscher owned a hunting pavilion, which was replaced in the 1860s by a red-brick Victorian-style castle. By marriage it came into the hands of the Ypres noble family Hynderick de Ghelcke.

During the battles for Diksmuide, late October, early November 1914, the castle was totally destroyed. On 16 October 1914, when the Battle of the Yser was still to be fought, the 6th German army division occupied Esen Castle, from where they launched an attack on Diksmuide. On 24 October 1914 the Germans set fire to Esen Castle. The ruins and the surrounding park were transformed into an almost impregnable fortress with a command post. At the end of October and beginning of November 1914, the Belgians and the French tried several times to recapture the castle, but had to abandon the idea. The domain would remain in German hands until the Final Offensive (September 1918).

In 1925, the castle was rebuilt in neoclassical style. Now yellow brick was used.

During the Second World War, the castle was not damaged, but was occupied by the Germans for a long time. At the end of 1944, Canadian General Foulkes and British Field Marshal Montgommery, among others, stayed at Esen Castle.

Suzanne Hynderick de Ghelcke left the domain and sold it in 1983 to the city of Diksmuide, which did not immediately have a use for it. In the second half of the 1980s, it became a war museum for a while. Around 1996, the castle was bought by the Province of West Flanders. Since then, provincial offices have been located there.