Slangenburg
Encyclopedia
Slangenburg Castle is a castle
in the municipality of Doetinchem
in the province of Gelderland
in the Netherlands
. The castle is located in the forest of the same name between the towns of Varsseveld
and Doetinchem, about 5 kilometers from the latter.
Slangenburg Castle was constructed in the Late Medieval period. In the 17th century the castle became the property of General Frederik Johan van Baer, also known as General Slangenburg, who rebuilt it for residential purposes.
The last private owners were a German
family called Passmann, who are buried in a private cemetery next to the moat. After the World War II
all German properties were confiscated by the Dutch government, who thus acquired the castle, which, with the surrounding terrain and the buildings within the outer moat, now forms part of the portfolio of the Rijksgebouwendienst ("Royal Buildings Service"), while the surrounding area falls under the care of the Dutch environmental agency, the Staatsbosbeheer
.
At present the castle is used as a guesthouse by the nearby Benedictine monastery, St. Willibrord's Abbey
(Sint-Willibrordabdij), a newly-built structure of the 1950s situated on a part of the castle's former estate. The original monastic community, from Oosterhout Abbey, was initially accommodated in the castle itself in the years imnmediately following the war.
The estate and the monastery chapel are open to the public. The estate, roughly trapezoid in shape, features a system of lanes which is centuries old.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the municipality of Doetinchem
Doetinchem
Doetinchem is a city and municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the Oude IJssel river in a part of the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek . The municipality has 56,700 inhabitants and has an area of 79.66 km²...
in the province of Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The castle is located in the forest of the same name between the towns of Varsseveld
Varsseveld
Varsseveld is a town in the Netherlands, located in the Dutch municipality of Oude IJsselstreek. It is the hometown of football coach Guus Hiddink, and of cyclist Robert Gesink....
and Doetinchem, about 5 kilometers from the latter.
Slangenburg Castle was constructed in the Late Medieval period. In the 17th century the castle became the property of General Frederik Johan van Baer, also known as General Slangenburg, who rebuilt it for residential purposes.
The last private owners were a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
family called Passmann, who are buried in a private cemetery next to the moat. After the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
all German properties were confiscated by the Dutch government, who thus acquired the castle, which, with the surrounding terrain and the buildings within the outer moat, now forms part of the portfolio of the Rijksgebouwendienst ("Royal Buildings Service"), while the surrounding area falls under the care of the Dutch environmental agency, the Staatsbosbeheer
Staatsbosbeheer
Staatsbosbeheer is a Dutch organization founded in 1899 to control and conserve Dutch nature reserves.Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250.000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public for recreational purposes, but restrictions often apply...
.
At present the castle is used as a guesthouse by the nearby Benedictine monastery, St. Willibrord's Abbey
St. Willibrord's Abbey
St. Willibrord's Abbey at Doetinchem in Gelderland is the most recently established Benedictine monastery in the Netherlands.The monastery, dedicated to Saint Willibrord, was founded immediately after World War II by the over-populated Oosterhout Abbey. Initially the monks lived in Slangenburg...
(Sint-Willibrordabdij), a newly-built structure of the 1950s situated on a part of the castle's former estate. The original monastic community, from Oosterhout Abbey, was initially accommodated in the castle itself in the years imnmediately following the war.
The estate and the monastery chapel are open to the public. The estate, roughly trapezoid in shape, features a system of lanes which is centuries old.