- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1271 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Coordinates
- 51.7761°, 7.4431°
History
Bishop Gerhard von der Mark of Münster had the castle built shortly before 1271 on a sandy island in a branch of the River Stever, to keep in check the lords of Lüdinghausen, who had built a castle of their own without his consent. In July 1271 he granted it as a fief to the Wulfheim family of drosts, who called themselves Droste zu Vischering from the 15th century and still own the castle. A fire wrecked the main castle in 1521; it was rebuilt on the old foundations in Renaissance style, with work finished around 1580, and in 1617 a large bay was added projecting over the moat. From 1690 the family lived mainly at Darfeld, so Vischering changed little. In November 1944 an aerial mine damaged the buildings and destroyed the mill, and after repairs the district leased the castle and opened a museum in it in 1972.
What to see
The exterior, moats and bridges can be viewed free of charge at any time. The Burg Vischering museum, with displays redesigned in 2018, occupies the first floor of the main castle and the outer bailey buildings, covering the history of the castle and its owners and aristocratic life in the Renaissance, with rural life and historic carriages in the outer bailey. A hands-on exhibition on knights and horses is aimed at children. Concerts are held in the Knights' Hall, and a café occupies the former stables.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q449031
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