Germany Haus Stapel

Since the early Middle Ages, extensive dams existed in which the water of the Poppenbeck Aa, the source stream of the Münster Aa, was dammed. At that time, these dams served to operate an extensive fishing facility. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, the numerous days of abstinence (days on which, according to church commandments, no meat was allowed to be eaten) were strictly observed, so as an alternative to eating meat, a lot of fish from pond farms was consumed. A dam on the Poppenbeck Aa also served to operate the ancient Stapler mill, which - only a few hundred metres away from the castle - today contains an agricultural sideline. The deep and wide ditches in the castle park are remnants of the former fishing facility.

As a noble residence, Haus Stapel was probably only built in the 16th century on the site of a previous farm.

The present buildings of the castle complex of Haus Stapel were erected in 1607 and 1608 (the flanking towers of the outer bailey and all other outbuildings except the gate tower, which, however, were rebuilt in the course of time to meet the requirements of agriculture). The gate tower was built in 1719 according to the plans of Maximilian von Welsch. He was the teacher of the famous Münster master builder Johann Conrad Schlaun. The present castle was built according to the plans of the Rheine-born master builder August Reinking, who died shortly after the foundation stone was laid in 1819. The castle was completed in 1828.

The Haus Stapel manor has always belonged to landed gentry families. Throughout its history, it was never sold but only passed into other families through female successions, such as at the beginning of the 16th century to the von Kerckerinck family, who were widespread in the Münsterland. This branch of the family subsequently called itself von Kerckerinck Zu Stapel and was raised to the hereditary rank of imperial baron in the first half of the 18th century.

About 100 years later, the male line of this family died out. The heiress's daughter Maria Theresia Freiin von Kerckerinck Zu Stapel (1786-1870) married Ernst Konstantin Freiherr von Droste zu Hülshoff, an uncle of the poet Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, in 1801 at the age of 15. This marriage produced 22 children, only about half of whom reached adulthood. Today's castle was built for this giant family. The poetess is said to have called the Droste-Stapels "limestones" because the house was built of the less durable sandstone of the nearby Baumberge mountains. In other respects, too, she did not speak very kindly of this part of the family. To her chagrin, the Droste had to give private lessons to the allegedly only moderately gifted cousins out of familial helpfulness. None of the original 22 children had legitimate offspring. When the last of these children of the castle builder died without a will in 1880, the von Droste zu Hülshoff family chose the great-grandfather of the present owner, Klemens Friedrich Freiherr Droste zu Hülshoff, formerly Landrat von Büren, in turn, a descendant son of Haus Hülshoff, nephew of the aforementioned poetess, as heir.

The latter designated his son Fritz as heir, who, however, was severely wounded at the beginning of the First World War, did not marry and, at the beginning of the 1930s, adopted Ermengard - the daughter of his brother Clemens von Droste zu Hülshoff, district administrator in the district of Höxter - who succeeded him as heiress after his death in 1936 and is married to Hermann Josef Freiherr Raitz von Frentz. The Raitz von Frentz couple has five daughters and one son.

It is best to take photos in the morning, otherwise, the front is in the shade.

Private property. Eye contact only. It is best to cycle there. The access road is private and may not be used by motor vehicles.