Lüdinghausen Castle
In the "town of water castles" of Lüdinghausen, it is considered the oldest: Lüdinghausen Castle. Surrounded by a magnificent park, which once formed the castle's fortification system, it lies in the heart of the town, right next to the town hall, and is today known as the "castle of the citizens", especially by the people of Lüdinghausen.
Typical Renaissance castle
Built in the 12th century by members of the von Lüdinghausen dynasty, the castle later came into the possession of the Bishop of Münster or the cathedral chapter. In the second half of the 16th century, Canon Gottfried von Raesfeld rebuilt the complex into a typical Renaissance castle - with elaborately decorated window gables and a magnificent coat of arms plaque in the inner courtyard of the castle complex. In the 19th century, the castle initially passed into the hands of the Prussians before becoming private property.
Lüdinghausen Castle was put to a special change of use on 20 October 1869: the new school for farmers - the "Theoretische Ackerbauschule" (Theoretical Farming School) - opened in the castle, which was popularly known as the "Bauernuniversität" (Farmers' University). This legacy is still commemorated today by the portrait of Baron Burghard von Schorlemer-Alt in the castle's ballroom. In 1879, the town of Lüdinghausen bought the castle and gradually restored it.
