Wasserschloss Gesmold

History

The origins of the castle in Gesmold date back to the 12th century.

Around 1170, the keep was built as a residential and refuge tower on oak piles in the damp Elsen lowlands and secured with moats and palisade fences.

In 1544, a two-winged Renaissance palazzo-style castle was built, into which the existing Romanesque residential tower was integrated.

The three moats created a castle complex with the core castle and two outer castles, which were connected by  drawbridges.

From the first half of the 17th century, the castle was renovated in several stages.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the prestigious complex reached its peak.

Under Christoph-Ludolf von Hammerstein, an extensive Baroque garden and park was created with features more familiar from courtly residences.

From 1725, the grounds were redesigned into a spacious Baroque-style residence and furnished with a rich and high-quality figurative program based on the models of stately residences.

The parterre in the outer bailey has been architecturally redesigned according to Baroque plans. The walls with bastions, grotto and belvedere and the moat surround an enclosed terrain.

Eight putti by a Münster court sculptor once adorned the "Luststück".

A 17th century marble vase stands in the center  of the lawn parterre.

The two-kilometre-long park axis outside the palace grounds leads to a  small hunting lodge, past fountains, hunting stars, fish ponds and formerly  a  hedge maze.

The baroque character still characterizes the image of the entire complex in Gesmold today and documents the ideas, lifestyles and conception of past times.

The extensive design will of all owners through the centuries is evident and can be experienced in today's complex.

The eventful history with changing owner families is unique in terms of history and art history.