Castle of Riddles
1983 video game
Castle of Riddles is a text adventure released by Acornsoft for the BBC Micro (in 1982) and Acorn Electron (1984) home computers. The game was written by Peter Killworth and was one of a series of text adventures written for, or ported to the BBC Micro by the same author (others including "Countdown to Doom" and "Philosopher's Quest"). As with all such games, only text is used. The player must use a simple 'verb-noun' format (e.g. 'Go North', 'Get lamp') to control the game. Unlike Killworth's other Acornsoft adventures, "Castle of Riddles" was not updated and reissued by Topologika so it became unavailable after 1985 when Acorn Computers (parent company of Acornsoft) pulled out of the games publishing market. Some of the puzzles however were included in the Topologika version of "Philosopher's Quest".
Plot.
The player takes the role of a 'professional adventurer' who is 'down to his last silver piece'. His services are hired by a wizard whose castle has been taken over by a warlock. The warlock has also found the wizard's "Magic Ring of Power" which must be returned. The player must navigate the castle, solve problems and avoid booby traps set by the warlock in order to recover the magic ring for the wizard. At various moments in the game, the adventurer is asked to answer a riddle. The adventurer must also search for treasure and deposit it in a safe. The treasure may be kept as payment.
Gameplay.
Points are awarded for picking up treasure and again for depositing it in the safe and completing certain tasks. The maximum possible score is 250.
References.
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Acornsoft
Former software division of Acorn Computers
Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, it also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages – these included word processor "VIEW" and the spreadsheet "ViewSheet" supplied on ROM and cartridge for the BBC Micro/Acorn Electron and included as standard in the BBC Master and Acorn Business Computer.
History.
Acornsoft was formed in late 1980 by Acorn Computers directors Hermann Hauser and Chris Curry, and David Johnson-Davies, author of the first game for a UK personal computer and of the official Acorn Atom manual "Atomic Theory and Practice". David Johnson-Davies was managing director and in early 1981 was joined by Tim Dobson, Programmer and Chris Jordan, Publications Editor.
While some of their games were clones or remakes of popular arcade games (e.g. "Hopper" is a clone of Sega's "Frogger", "Snapper" is Namco's "Pac-Man", "Arcadians" is Namco's "Galaxian"), they also published a number of original titles such as "Aviator", "Elite", and "Revs". Acornsoft also published text adventures by authors such as Peter Killworth, including "Philosopher's Quest" (previously titled "Brand X") and "Countdown to Doom".
As a result of the publication of a method to circumvent copy protection measures employed by Acornsoft titles, a High Court injunction against Computing Publications - publisher of Personal Computer World - was granted to Acorn Computers "requiring all copies of the January 1984 issue of PCW to be withdrawn from sale", with the article concerned being regarded as inciting readers to "duplicate computer programs". This injunction was subsequently lifted as a consequence of an out-of-court settlement between the parties involving a damages payment of £65,000 plus costs to Acorn "to meet Acorn's expenses in developing a new locking device". The article's author, Guy Kewney, and the magazine's editor, Jane Bird, argued that printing a software routine showing how to save Acornsoft cassette software to disk was a service to the magazine's readers. The cost of printing the magazine issue concerned was estimated at £100,000.
Acornsoft became a subsidiary within Acorn Computer Group, distinct from Acorn Computers who were responsible for the development of Acorn's microcomputer systems, but Acornsoft ceased to operate as a separate company upon the departure of David Johnson-Davies in January 1986. Past this date, Acorn Computers used the Acornsoft name on office software it released in the "VIEW" family for the BBC Master series. In 1986 Superior Software was granted a licence to publish some Acornsoft games and re-released many, individually and as compilations such as the "Play It Again Sam" and "Acornsoft Hits" series. By agreement, the Acornsoft name was also used on the packaging of some of the subsequent Superior games. Superior chose not to take on Acornsoft's text adventure games, most of which were released in updated versions by Topologika along with some sequels from the same authors.
In 1997, Acorn sought to revive the Acornsoft brand for new software releases, such as upgrades to RISC OS, programming tools, a new Web browser, multitasking movie playback (using Acorn Replay), and Java for RISC OS. A stated objective was to demonstrate that a "wide range of innovative software at competitive prices" was available for RISC OS, with support also being potentially offered to third-party software producers. Acornsoft products themselves would be supported by marketing, including advertising, and the provision of press review samples.
Branding.
Acornsoft titles extended their consistent branding to the software's loading screens.
Acornsoft Games range.
Including all arcade, text adventure and board games. All games were compatible with the BBC Micro Model B. Games followed by "Model A & B" were compatible with both machines. Games followed by "Electron" were also released separately for the Acorn Electron. Games are listed by their catalogue numbers which are roughly the order of release of the BBC versions.
There are also a number of completed but unreleased games that have found their way into the public domain such as "Crazy Balloon", "Hellforce" and "Bandit" that date from around 1983.
Acornsoft Education range.
Acornsoft produced a wide range of educational titles aimed at many different age groups.
Acornsoft also published and distributed a range of educational software developed by ASK (Applied Systems Knowledge) that were widely used in schools running BBC Micros. These included "Podd" (find out which actions a red blobby character can perform (e.g. jump, smile, dance), "Squeeze" (a two player strategy game of squeezing shapes onto a board) and "Cranky" (solve maths problems to repair a living calculator). These titles were part of the Acornsoft catalogue but used a different code (XBE?? – all other Acornsoft titles began with S so the Education range on BBC Micro cassettes would be SBE??). They ran on both the BBC Micro Model B and Acorn Electron.
The "Ivan Berg Software" range was also mainly educational but had its own distinct code (XBX??). This included the 6 "Grandmaster Quiz"zes (Theatre, Crime & Detection, Music, History, Science Fiction and Royal), relationship aids ""..I Do" Your Guide to a Happy Marriage" and "The Dating Game" and GCE/CSE revision guides (Mathematics, Biology and English).
Acornsoft also distributed other ranges of educational programs developed by companies such as ICL, Good Housekeeping and Bourne but they are not considered part of the official catalogue.
Acornsoft Business range.
Acornsoft produced a range of office software for home and business use.
The series continues but mainly with add-on products for the "VIEW" word processor such as "ViewIndex" (an automatic index generator) and "ViewSpell" (spell-checker) as well as newer versions.
View Professional (1987) was a combined wordprocessor, spreadsheet and database similar to PipeDream on the Z88.
Although primarily a programming language suite, Acornsoft released its P-System product featuring UCSD Pascal and Fortran 77 compilers as part of its business range. Developed by TDI for Acornsoft, the product required a 6502 second processor and disc system, preferably with two drives. Despite the £299 price, various tools including an assembler and linker were omitted from the product, these being made available in a separate Advanced Development Toolkit from TDI.
Acornsoft Languages range.
Acorn systems came with a version of the BBC BASIC programming language as standard but Acornsoft also produced a wide range of other languages that could be loaded in by cassette or disc or in some cases, supplied in ROM form.
The relative performance of some of Acornsoft's languages was evaluated using a benchmark based on the Takeuchi function, "Tak" by former Acornsoft managing director, David Johnson-Davies, noting that "it is difficult to imagine a language that performs badly on "Tak" being much use for anything", illustrating a diversity amongst these language implementations in terms of readability, speed and generated code size. A follow-up article expanded the comparison to other language implementations such as Oxford Pascal, Z80 versions of BBC BASIC, Turbo Pascal and Small-C.
Acornsoft Graphics range and more.
The graphics range was used to demonstrate the graphical power of the Acorn computers but only three titles were made available. The X?? code was then used for other types of software.
The range took on various themes including "Creative Sound" (X26).
References.
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Castle Book II
Role-playing game supplement
Castle Book II is a universal role-playing game supplement published by Judges Guild in 1981.
Publication history.
Following the release of "Castle Book I" in 1978, Judges Guild followed up in 1979 with "Castle Book II", a 64-page softcover book written by Bob Bledsaw. The book was published in several editions from 1979 to 1981; early editions have a black & white cover, later editions a full-color cover.
Contents.
"Castle Book II" is a gamemaster's aid that contains 50 maps of castles and forts drawn on hex sheets, intended to be used in wilderness encounters or for campaign design, and also contains tables for generating castle names randomly. The material is not designed for a specific game system, allowing the gamemaster to adapt the material to any fantasy role-playing game.
Reception.
In the May 1988 edition of "Dragon" (Issue #133), Ken Rolston said, "There are no details for the functions or contents of the individual buildings, but it’s nice to have the layouts when whipping up an adventure setting on short notice."
Ken Rolston reviewed "Castle Book II" and "The Palladium Book of European Castles" in "White Wolf" #40 (1994) and stated that "I only use "European Castles" for real quick-and-dirty improvisation. On the other hand, "Castle Book II" curiously remains fresh and useful for me despite its outdated design."
References.
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Castle Book I
1978 fantasy role-playing game supplement
Castle Book I is a 1978 fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Judges Guild.
Contents.
"Castle Book I" is a supplement which presents fifty castles laid out in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Publication history.
According to Shannon Appelcline, Judges Guild began their publication of original material with a subscription format, but by 1978 "the line between subscription and non-subscriptions items would grow increasingly vague" but that "their "Castle Book I" (1978), which had 50 castle maps, couldn't be found among the subscription packets at all. From here on, the subscription installments represented "some" of the Judges Guild books for those months." A listing of cumulative sales from 1981 shows that "Castle Book I" sold over 15,000 units.
Different Worlds Publications later acquired and distributed Judges Guild products, including "Village Book 1", "Village Book 2", "Castle Book I", and "Castle Book II".
Reception.
In the May 1981 edition of "The Space Gamer" (No. 39), Kurt Butterfield commented that "The "Castle Book" has many interesting ideas in it. For the price, it's a bargain."
Patrick Amory reviewed "Castles Book I" for "Different Worlds" magazine and stated that "Some are a little outlandish, but who cares? This is fantasy! Again, its usefulness lies in the fact that the GM will almost certainly not have all the castles in his campaign mapped out in this detail."
In the May 1988 edition of "Dragon" (Issue #133), Ken Rolston said, "There are no details for the functions or contents of the individual buildings, but it’s nice to have the layouts when whipping up an adventure setting on short notice."
References.
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Castles Forlorn
Castles Forlorn is an accessory for the Ravenloft campaign setting for the 2nd edition of the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993.
Contents.
In "Castles Forlorn", the player characters explore the eight-level Tristenoria mansion, which exists simultaneously in three time periods, though all three incarnations occupy the same physical space. Castle A, the first incarnation, exists (in 1939 on the Forfar calendar) when the mortar is still fresh, the candelabras still gleam, and the view out the window shows green hills and bright skies. A century later, Castle B exists in a time where supernatural disasters have cracked the plaster, shattered the glass, and blackened the skies. In 2122, Castle C lies in ruin; cobwebs choke the corridors, the walls have collapsed, and the view from the windows reveals a ravaged landscape and scavenging monsters.
While exploring the castle, the PCs activate temporal shifts that spin the castle into the three different eras. By assigning colors to the various incarnations (red for Castle A, blue for Castle B, green for Castle C), the poster map shows which rooms and doors exist in each period. The text offers suggestions for handling paradoxes (such as when different PCs occupy the same room in different time periods) and measuring time. (Time may pass independently in each incarnation.)
The rest of the package focuses on the domain of Forlorn and its minions. Tristen ApBlanc, the lord of Forlorn, is part vampire and part ghost. A section on druidism reveals the spell-casting secrets of redheaded humans. Landmarks include a granite cliff that weeps blood and a half-mile fissure that spews yellow vapor to enshroud the domain.
Publication history.
"Castles Forlorn" was published by TSR, Inc. as a boxed set containing one 96-page book, two 32-page books, one double-sided 32" x 21" map sheet, one single-sided 32" x 21" map sheet, and one 32" x 21" poster. Design was by Lisa Smedman and editing by David Wise, with a cover by Dana M. Knutson and illustrations by Stephen Fabian, Arnie Swekel, and Robert Klasnich.
Reception.
Rick Swan reviewed "Castles Forlorn" for "Dragon" magazine #205 (May 1994). According to Swan, the set features a "terrific castle", citing its twist of existing simultaneously in three time periods. He describes the results as "startling, to say the least. A door appears, then disappears. A dark passage fills with light, then goes dark again. A plush bedroom with expensive furniture becomes a musty chamber piled with debris, with bloody hand prints smeared on the walls." He noted that while the text offers sensible suggestions for handling paradoxes and measuring time, "the text includes everything but a developed adventure; instead, we're given an assortment of hazards and encouraged to "build tension gradually by saving the nastiest surprises for last." That's easier said than done, especially for novice referees who require a lot more structure than this to get a campaign off the ground." He felt that the Forlorn material "mixes the clever with the ordinary", noting that while Tristen ApBlanc "could teach Count Strahd a thing or two about ghastliness", a lot of the other material "seems like filler", in that some of the locations such as the Sacred Groves and the Caverns of the Dead "aren't much more interesting than their names", some of the ghostly NPCs "work better as obstacles than personalities", and Aggie, "a clone of the Loch Ness Monster, doesn't have much to do other than pose for the cover". Swan concluded the review by saying: "In the hands of a creative referee, Castles Forlorn can be a source of endless surprise. If, for instance, the party steals a book from a room in Castle C, then later tosses a fireball into the Castle A incarnation of the same room, the stolen book may turn to ash in their hands. Think of the Forlorn material as a bonus; get this for the castle."
Gene Alloway reviewed the module in a 1994 issue of "White Wolf". He rated the game at 3 of 5 for Complexity, Concepts, Playability, and Value, and a 4 for Appearance. He stated that "quality is quite high" and gave it an overall rating of 3.
References.
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Castle Drachenfels
Castle Drachenfels is a 1992 role-playing adventure for "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay" published by Games Workshop.
Plot summary.
"Castle Drachenfels" is an adventure in which the palace of the Great Enchanter is detailed.
Reception.
Anthony Ragan reviewed "Castle Drachenfels" in "White Wolf" #35 (March/April, 1993), rating it a 4 out of 5 and stated that "If I have but criticism of the work, it lies with the perfect-bound format. The nice handouts are all bound at the back, requiring the GM to either cut up his expensive book or risk mangling it at a photocopier. This quibble aside, though, "Castle Drachenfels" is a fine addition to the "WFRP" line that I highly recommend."
References.
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The Palladium Book of European Castles
The Palladium Book of European Castles is a 1985 role-playing supplement published by Palladium Books.
Contents.
"The Palladium Book of European Castles" is a supplement in which historic European castle plans are provided with illustrations.
Publication history.
"The Palladium Book of European Castles" was written by Matthew Balent, with art by Michael Gustovich, and was published by Palladium Books in 1985 as a 48-page book.
Reception.
Ken Rolston reviewed "Castle Book II" and "The Palladium Book of European Castles" in "White Wolf" #40 (1994) and stated that "I only use "European Castles" for real quick-and-dirty improvisation. On the other hand, "Castle Book II" curiously remains fresh and useful for me despite its outdated design."
References.
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Riddlesworth (horse)
British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse
Riddlesworth (1828–1843) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He raced in April and May 1831, in a career that lasted less than seven weeks. He won four of his five starts, including the Riddlesworth Stakes, 2000 Guineas Stakes and Newmarket Stakes. On his final start he finished second in the Derby. Riddlesworth was owned by George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, and trained by James Edwards. As a stallion he stood in Germany and the United States, but didn't leave many notable foals.
Background.
Riddlesworth was a chestnut colt, with a white blaze, bred by George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, and foaled in 1828. He was sired by Emilius, who had won the Riddlesworth Stakes and Derby Stakes in 1823. After retiring from racing Emilius became a successful stallion and was champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland in 1830 and 1831. Amongst his other offspring were Derby winners Priam and Plenipotentiary, St. Leger winner Mango, Oaks winner Oxygen and 1000 Guineas winners Preserve, Barcarolle and Extempore. Riddlesworth's dam Fillagree was a daughter of Soothsayer. She also foaled 1000 Guineas winner Charlotte West and 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Cobweb. Riddlesworth was Fillagree's eighth foal. He was trained by James Edwards.
Racing career.
Riddlesworth started his racing career on 4 April 1831 in the Riddlesworth Stakes at the Newmarket Craven Meeting. He was ridden by George Edwards and started as the 1/2 favourite. He justified favouritism and won the race. Anthony was second and Egbert third. Three days later he beat Vestris to win the one-mile Dinner Stakes, this time being ridden by James Robinson. On 19 April only six horses started the 2000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. Riddlesworth was the 1/5 favourite, again was again ridden to victory by James Robinson. Sarpedeon finished second, with Bohemian third and Ciudad Rodrigo fourth. Three says later he faced seven rivals in the Newmarket Stakes. He was again sent off as the odds-on favourite and duly won. Incubus was second, three lengths behind Riddlesworth, and well clear of the rest of the field. On 19 May at Epsom Downs he started as the 4/6 favourite for the Derby Stakes. His closest rivals in the betting were Vestris at 12/1, Blunderer at 16/1 and Bras de Fer at 20/1. Twenty-three horses started the race, which was won by 50/1 outsider Spaniel. Riddlesworth finished second and was the only other horse placed. He was sold to Sir Mark Wood for 2500 guineas, at which point he was favourite for the St. Leger. On the 25 August it was reported that he was ill, and he drifted out to as big as 30/1 in the betting for the St. Leger. He never started again and retired having earned 4640 guineas in prize money during his career.
Assessment.
Riddlesworth was considered to be the best horse of his year. Commenting on some peoples suggestion that it was a "bad year for horses", one reporter for the Sporting Magazine wrote: "I, who am not a fashionable man, contend that it is the superiority of Riddlesworth that makes them only look so."
Stud career.
Riddlesworth was purchased by Sir Mark Wood and then exported to Germany in 1832. After being briefly brought back to England he was sold to Dr. John Nott and sent to Alabama in the United States. Riddlesworth's daughter Sally Riddlesworth was the direct female-line ancestor of King's Courier. King's Courier won the Doncaster Cup in 1900. Riddlesworth died in early 1843 at J.L Bradley's stable in Lexington, Kentucky of pneumonia.
Pedigree.
"Note: b. = Bay, bl. = Black, br. = Brown, ch. = Chestnut"
References.
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Castles of Hârn
RPG supplement published in 1987
Castles of Hârn is a 1987 role-playing game supplement for "HârnMaster" published by Columbia Games.
Contents.
"Castles of Hârn" is a supplement detailing the history, economics, and religious position of eight castles from throughout the world of Harn.
Publication history.
"Castles of Hârn" was written by Edwin King and Richard Porter, with art by Eric Hotz, and was published by Columbia Games in 1988 as a 64-page book.
Shannon Appelcline noted that "This was the golden age of Hârn, roughly from 1983, when "Cities of Hârn" was produced to 1987, when Columbia completed their coverage of the core Hârn kingdoms and started producing standalone books like "Son of Cities" (1987) and "Castles of Hârn" (1987)."
Reception.
Jake Thornton reviewed "Castles of Harn" for "Games International" magazine, and gave it 2 stars out of 5, and stated that "I would suggest spending the money instead on one of the excellent texts on real mediaeval fortifications. The only people that I can recommend this to are confirmed Harn addicts who probably have it already."
Ken Rolston reviewed "Castles of Hârn" and "Castles of Orbaal" in "White Wolf" #40 (1994) and stated that "If you run any sort of historically based low fantasy campaign - "Pendragon" or "Ars Magica" campaigns in particular - "Castles of Hârn" and "Castles of Orbaal" are just right. Other more shamelessly heroic settings (like "AD&D Greyhawk" or "Warhammer Fantasy Role Play") may require importing loads of alien races and spell casters, but the castle plans, terrain maps and NPC thumbnails work just fine regardless."
References.
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Castle of Magic (board game)
Board game
Castle of Magic is a board game that was published by RiddleMaster Games in 1991.
Description.
In the world of the "Castle of Magic", a monster has invaded Castle Bondi and killed the rulers of three adjoining countries. The players take on the roles of wizards who have come to the castle to try to recover the slain rulers' lost items of power: a bell, a book, and a candle.
The game comes with the following components:
Gameplay.
The board.
The board has three tracks that players can move around: one represents the outside wall of the castle, one circles the wizard's tower, and one represents the wizard's tower. There are spaces for:
Object of game.
Players move their pawns around the board, gaining spell points that will enable them to:
Players use the Tracking Sheets to keep track of the spell points they've earned, their Combat rating, how many points of control they have over each Item of Power, what Ritual Spell configurations they've discovered, and what secrets they have learned about other players.
Play continues until the Ritual Spell occurs, which can happen in one of two ways:
When either of these conditions occurs, the game ends, and the result of the Ritual Spell — one of eight potential results — is revealed.
Victory conditions.
Players gain or lose victory points depending on a number of factors:
The person who accrues the most victory points wins, sharing that victory with any other player who had at least half as many victory points.
However, if the result of the Ritual Spell is that the Monster eats everyone and rampages across the countryside, then everyone loses. (In the Advanced Rules, it is possible for a player to be the Monster, in which case, that player wins the game if this result is revealed.)
Reception.
In the January 1993 edition of "Dragon" (Issue #189), Lester W. Smith found the game components well-made but extremely bland in design. However, he found the game "a lot of fun to play". He did warn that first-time players would be confused for a few turns until they figured out what was going on. Smith concluded, "The "Castle of Magic" game is not quite like anything I’ve ever played before, and I find it highly entertaining."
References.
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Rapperswil Castle
Castle in Switzerland
Rapperswil Castle (Swiss German: "Schloss Rapperswil") is a castle, built in the early 13th century by the House of Rapperswil, in the formerly independent city of Rapperswil.
The castle is located on the eastern Lake Zurich's western "Obersee" lakeshore in Rapperswil, a locality of the Rapperswil-Jona municipality in Switzerland's canton of St. Gallen.
Since 1870 the castle has been home to the Polish National Museum established by Polish émigrés, including the castle's lessee and restorer, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater. "Schloss Rapperswil" and the Museum are listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as "Class A" objects of national importance.
Geography.
The medieval "Altstadt" of the city of Rapperswil is dominated by the castle perched atop a longish rocky hill on the peninsula called "Lindenhof hill" on its western side respectively "Herrenberg" on its eastern side where the castle was built. It is surrounded on three sides by Lake Zurich and by those upper section on the northwestern "Seedamm" area. Thus, the castle was well protected, dominating the old town of Rapperswil, and controlling the water way between "Walensee" and Lake Zurich on its most narrow part, as well as the medieval Gotthard Pass route between Lombardy and Zurich, and the "Jakobsweg" (Way of St. James) to the Einsiedeln Abbey.
The castle is situated next to "Stadtpfarrkirche Rapperswil" and the present cemetery chapel, and (to the east) neighboured by former small castle, as of today the "Stadtmuseum Rapperswil".
History.
Rapperswil Castle dates back around 1200 to 1220 AD, and it was first mentioned in 1229 on occasion of the foundation of the Rüti Abbey. The castle and the fortifications of the former locus "Endingen" (given by the Einsiedeln Abbey) were built by Count "Rudolf II" and his son "Rudolf III von Rapperswil", when the nobility of Rapperswil moved from Altendorf ("Alt-Rapperswil") across the lake to the other side of the so-called "Seedamm", maybe to establish their own parish church and to avoid to go the mess, by crossing the lake, in St. Martin Busskirch. As before in the 11th and 12th century AD, the family acted as "Vogt" of the Einsiedeln Abbey. Sandstone from the Lützelau island was used to build the castle, the town walls and the city.
The chapel adjoining the ossuary dates back to the time when the parish passed from the Busskirch church to the Rapperswil church and accordingly an inner city cemetery was established. The first chapel was associated to the castle, but the chapel was located outside of its walls and separated by a trench. The preceding building of the "Liebfrauenkapelle" was built as an ossuary around 1220 to 1253. The charnel house was first mentioned as "intra cymeterium ecclesia", meaning church in the cemetery.
The Counts of Rapperswil became extinct in 1283 with the death of the 18-year-old Count "Rudolf V", after which emperor Rudolf I acquired their fiefs. The Herrschaft Rapperswil proper passed to the house of Homberg represented by Count Ludwig († April, 27 1289) by first marriage of Countess Elisabeth von Rapperswil. Around 1309 the bailiwick passed to Count "Rudolf von Habsburg-Laufenburg" († 1315) by second marriage of Countess Elisabeth, the sister of Rudolf V, followed by her son, Count "Johann I" († 1337 in Grynau) and his son, "Johann II" († 1380).
In 1350 an attempted coup by the aristocratic opposition (a central person was Count Johann II) in the city of Zurich was forcefully put down, and the town walls of Rapperswil and the castle were destroyed by Rudolf Brun. "Eis-zwei-Geissebei", a Carnival festival hold in Rapperswil on Shrove Tuesday, may go back to the siege and destruction of the city of Rapperswil. The battlements and the castle were rebuilt by Albrecht II, Duke of Austria in 1352/54.
After the extinction of the line of Habsburg-Laufenburg in 1442, the castle was given to the citizens of Rapperswil. Ending Old Zurich War, Rapperswil was controlled by the Swiss Confederation from 1458 to 1798 as a so-called "Gemeine Herrschaft", i.e. under control of two cantons of the Old Swiss Conferation and their representative, a "Vogt", and Rapperswil castle became an administration site respectively military base and prison.
Over the course of time, the castle fell into disrepair. In 1870 the castle was leased for 99 years from the local authorities by a post-November 1830 Uprising Polish émigré, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater (a relative of Emilia Plater, a heroine of the same 1830 Uprising), who had been in Switzerland since 1844. At his own expense he restored the castle, and on 23 October 1870 the Polish National Museum was established. Except for two hiatuses (1927 to 1936 and 1952 to 1975), the museum has existed to the present day — an outpost of Polish culture in Switzerland.
In 2008 some Rapperswil residents petitioned local authorities to evict the Polish Museum from its home in the castle, as two historical museum locations ("Stadtmuseum" and Polish Museum) estimated to be too expensive. The museum was conducting a petition campaign to retain the Museum in the castle, but although the "Stadtmuseum" (museum of local history was kept respectively renewed at its location at the nearby "Breny" house at "Herrenberg" in 2012/13, indeed, the future of the Polish Museum remains unsure.
Architecture and points of interest.
Building.
Rebuilt by Duke Albert II, since 1354 the castle forms an almost equilateral triangle, and each corner of the castle is reinforced with a tower. The highest tower in the southwest is the donjon, commonly called "Gügeliturm" in Swiss-German language, where the so-called "Hochwächter" warned the residents against approaching danger or fire. The five-sided "Zeitturm", a clock tower in the east, houses three bells and beside a sundial and two large clocks. Between these two towers the castle's six-storey palais is situated. In addition, ramparts respectively battlements are leading to the third tower in the northwest, the so-called "Pulverturm" (powder tower). From 1698 to 1837 there was a drawbridge, at the present lower gate towards the former castle chapel. The French revolutionary troops plundered the castle's interior in 1798.
Interior.
Inside the castle's palais, there is located next to the Polish Museum the "Schloss Restaurant". After hours visits are available by appointment, as well as guided tours for groups, although the castle is just partially accessible for the public. The impressing "Rittersaal" (knight's hall) and the historical wooden architecture, as well some pictures and tapestry include further points of interest.
Herbal garden.
The city and local board of Rapperswil-Jona initiated in 2011 a new service and operating concept for the Rapperswil castle to provide the site as a touristic attraction and meeting place, and thus "recognizable as a brand". For this purpose, the tower, the battlements and the herb garden were opened to the public.
Lindenhof hill.
In 981 AD the assumably oldest vineyard on Lake Zurich lake shore, situated on the southern slope of the Lindenhof hill which is named "Schlossberg" was mentioned for the first time. On the castle's terrace, the eastern part of the so-called "Lindenhof" hill-square, the Polish freedom pillar is situated, as a sign of Switzerland's solidarity with people who struggle for their freedom, as well a tiny rose garden. From there is also an impressing view over the medieval town of Rapperswil, upper and lower Lake Zurich, on the "Seedamm" and the wooden bridge from Rapperswil to Hurden and the Frauenwinkel protected area, and towards the Glarus Alps, as well as to the Bachtel mountain. Among other traditions, "Eis-zwei-Geissebei" is celebrated on Lindenhof, at the Rathaus and Castle when in the evening all regional "Guggenmusik" (carnival marching bands) gather to celebrate a roaring concert. On the northern side of the "Lindenhof" plateau stretches a supervised Deer park with 10 to 15 "Dama dama" down towards the "Kempratnerbucht" which is a reminder of the legend of the castle's founding.
State of research.
It is also assumed a predecessor building, a Roman era watchtower in conjunction with the "Vicus Centum Prata", but for the present there are no archaeological findings. Due to the structural conditions, there never significant archaeological excavations were carried out, incidentally at the entire area of the Lindenhof and Herrenberg area. Likewise, there are few reliable data for the construction, only the renovations and the function of the castle are therefore secured by historical sources.
Heritage sites of national significance.
Rapperswil Castle and the Polish Museum are listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance, as well as the historical lake crossings and settlements, as "Class A" objects of national importance.
References.
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Raesfeld Castle
Water castle in the district of Borken
Raesfeld Castle is a water castle located in Raesfeld, a municipality in the district of Borken in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The castle's history dates back to the beginning of the 12th century. At the end of the 16th century, the knight's castle of the Lords of Raesfeld came into the possession of the von Velen family. In the middle of the 17th century, Imperial Count Alexander II von Velen had the castle converted into a Renaissance-style residential palace. In the first half of the 18th century, the von Velen family of Raesfeld died out; the castle was only inhabited irregularly and gradually fell into disrepair. At the beginning of the 19th century, parts of the complex were demolished or used as an agricultural estate until the 20th century. After the Second World War, the new owners, the Chambers of Crafts of North Rhine-Westphalia, had it restored. Today, the castle is home to the further education and training facility of the Chambers of Crafts and is used for cultural events and as a restaurant. It has been possible to get married here since 2007.
Of the former four wings of the upper castle, the west wing with its striking stepped tower and the adjoining old building to the north with a rebuilt round tower still stand today. Moats separate the upper castle from the outer castle and the village castle grounds with the castle chapel. The adjoining zoo is one of the few remaining from the Renaissance period. A natural and cultural history exhibition in the modern "Information and Visitor Center Tiergarten Schloss Raesfeld" does justice to this special position. The zoo is a member of the European Garden Heritage Network.
Architecture and building history.
The castle complex comprises the upper castle, the outer bailey, and the surrounding castle grounds, including the castle chapel. A moat separates the individual parts, originally only connected by drawbridges. The art historian Richard Klapheck wrote: "From the south, the entire complex forms an impressive picture of wonderfully balanced building masses. There is no baroque, violent disturbance despite the overpowering tower verticals." The upper and lower castles are arranged so that the fortissimo of the tones strikes resonate in harmony, creating an overall picture that is imbued with balance and tranquility.
The predecessor of the current castle is likely the motte-and-bailey castle known as Burg Kretier, which no longer exists. It was situated in the Große Esch, in the vicinity of the Oude IJssel, approximately three kilometers to the north of the current castle. Excavations conducted in the 1950s and 1960s, in addition to dendrochronological investigations, have revealed that a wooden tower mound castle with moats was constructed on the site around 1117, over a 9th or 10th-century flat settlement. This is likely the settlement of Hrothusfeld (cleared field), which was first mentioned in the Heberegister of Werden Abbey in 889 AD and which gave rise to the name Raesfeld. It is probable that the wooden settlement burned down after 1259, as it was not rebuilt and fell into disrepair.
In contrast, the first stone castle was constructed on the site of the present-day castle. The castle had the shape of an irregular rectangle with edge lengths of 8.60 m and 9.30 m. Portions of the northwest corner of the north wing of the upper castle have been preserved. It is an approximately 1.80 m thick wall constructed of rubble stones and lime mortar with embrasures.
By the end of the 14th century, the castle had been extended to two storeys and reached a length of approximately 30.20 m and a width of 12.40 m. In addition, a square tower was constructed at the southern corner, while a round defense tower was erected on the diagonally opposite corner to the north.
As a consequence of the destruction of the roof truss by fire in 1597, Alexander I von Velen commissioned the rebuilding of the castle from 1604 to 1606. The master builder Heinrich von Borken was responsible for this undertaking. The round tower, which had been partially destroyed, was rebuilt and given a Welsh dome. The iron number '1606' on the south side of the wing bears witness to the completion of the work. However, the east wall was subsequently rebuilt in 1614 following the destruction caused by a storm. This was the first occasion on which the east side was decorated with ornamentation such as cornice bands and coats of arms on the gable edges. The attached four-part oriel bears the date 1561 and originally came from Velen Castle. The piece was removed around 1900 and remained at Velen Castle until 1933 when it was returned to Raesfeld Castle.
This brick edifice was incorporated as the northern wing in the expansion of the residential palace in 1643 by Alexander II von Velen. Three additional wings in the Renaissance style encompassed a rectangular inner courtyard with the old manor house. Two of these wings, the low gallery with the arcade to the inner courtyard and the entrance wing to the upper castle, including a magnificent entrance portal, were demolished in the 19th century. The western residential wing with a gambrel and the tower from this construction period remain on the upper castle. The dominant tower, which is approximately 50 m high, adjoins the west wing to the south. The six-story tower is crowned by a bronze helmet, which tapers steeply upwards and is topped by an onion dome. The unconventional shape with the triple offset truncated pyramids is attributed to the early Baroque period. Klapheck described the tower as a "trumpet blast turned to stone." In 1959, the tower was re-roofed with copper sheets.
In 1646, the Capuchin and architect Michael van Gent was engaged as the master builder. Born Jacobus van Pouke near Ghent in 1585, he resided in Münster at the time. Upon his departure for Rome in 1647, Jacob and Johann Schmidt from Roermond continued the work based on a model by van Gent. Remigius Roßkotten was responsible for the stonemasonry work. The outer bailey was completed around 1648, and the upper bailey around 1653, at a total cost of approximately 80,000 Reichstaler.
Bricks were also utilized as the primary construction material for the new wings. Light-colored Baumberg sandstone was employed for the portals, the beams and frames of the windows, the corner ashlars, and the decorative elements. At the beginning of the 20th century, the shutters and portals, which were originally painted red and white, were repainted red and yellow, likely to match the red and gold coat of arms of the von Velen family, which had been painted on the shutters and portals since the 17th century. Before this, the shutters and portals were probably painted blue and white. The roofs were covered with red tiles, and the tower caps with Moselle slate.
The west wing is divided in height by several cornice bands. Vertically, it is divided by regular stone cross windows. On the first floor, they are crowned by triangular gables with alternating angel heads and shells in the middle. On the second floor, flat double arches with sandstone imposts above the windows relieve a roof cornice supported by corbels. The relieving arches above the windows of the basement are designed as simple semicircular arches, as in the higher floors of the tower, but the imposts and keystones are more elaborately carved sandstone. The courtyard side of the west wing has a representative design: the entrance door to the first floor in the south corner is decorated with rich volute ornamentation and a "Oeil-de-boeuf" above it. Each of the windows on the first floor is surmounted by a stone cartouche. The Corinthian capitals of the pilasters between the windows are decorated alternately with figures of angels and volutes; they bear a Corinthian-style architrave with volute meanders. The base of the mock columns is formed by sculpted ashlars with lion heads.
No analogous models for the expansion of Raesfeld Castle can be identified in the surrounding area. Klapheck situates Raesfeld within the context of the castle buildings in the Geldrisch-Limburg Maas valley. He describes Raesfeld as the easternmost manifestation of 17th-century Maas Valley brick architecture, which encompasses the castles of Hoensbroek and Schaesberg near Heerlen and Leerodt Castle near Geilenkirchen. Alexander II was personally acquainted with the lords of the castles, or at the very least the Dutch master builders, due to family connections.
The interior was furnished just as magnificently in the course of the extension. The rooms were adorned with leather wallpaper and tapestries, and the ceilings were decorated with Baroque stucco and paintings. François Walschaerth from Maastricht painted the reveals of the windows in the Knights' Hall of the old manor house with gods and heroes from Greek mythology. Andreas Petersen painted birds and ornaments on the hall doors. Other rooms include the parade room, the count's writing room, the library, the billiard room, the china room, the blue room and the green room. However, hardly any of the furnishings were left when an inspection was carried out in February 1772. Some of the inventory was taken to Velen Castle, while the rest was almost without exception looted or destroyed during the vacancy and occupation. A harpsichord purchased by Alexander II from the famous Flemish workshop Ruckers in 1640 has survived to this day.
Like the portal wing, the stair tower in the inner courtyard and the gallery wing, the round fortified tower dating back to the 14th century was demolished in the 19th century. In 1959, the remains, which were still up to 2.50 m high and 2.70 m thick, were removed down to the oak pile foundations. A three-legged bronze cooking pot ("Grope") and a 17th-century Bartmann jug were found, which were probably walled in when the tower was repaired around 1600. The round tower was rebuilt in 1960.
After falling into serious disrepair in the 18th and 19th centuries, the castle was renovated in 1922 and from 1930 to 1932. From 1950 to 1957, the war damage was repaired and the interior of the castle was redesigned. As part of the renovation, numerous walls were removed and new windows were broken through in the north wing. In 1951, a kitchen wing was added to the northern corner between the west and north wings for the palace restaurant and the staircase to the first floor in the inner courtyard was rebuilt.
Outer bailey.
The outer bailey is located on a separate island between the freedom and the upper bailey. It housed the administrative and service rooms. The outer bailey was built between 1646 and 1648, and the building on the north side, which is perpendicular to the long outer bailey, has been there since around 1600. It is reminiscent of a Westphalian farmhouse and was also used as a cattle shed and harvest chamber. Next to the gate to the freedom in the middle of the outer bailey is the stair tower on the courtyard side, which leads to the upper floor. To the south, the outer bailey is flanked by the Sterndeuter Tower. The tower is said to have been used by Alexander II of Velen for astrological studies, which explains its name. During the restoration of the Sterndeuter Tower in 2001, evidence was found that the southern part of the outer bailey was also built on older, medieval foundation walls. A carriage house was added to the south in 1923. The outer bailey was completely restored between 1981 and 1983.
The floors are divided by circumferential cornice bands and shields adorn the eaves and ridges of the gables; however, the outer bailey is of a simpler design overall than the west wing of the upper bailey from the same construction phase. The stone cross windows have no triangular pediments or other decorations and the relieving arches are semi-circular with hewn imposts and keystones, as in the upper storeys of the main tower. The top floor of the five-storey Sterndeuter Tower is surrounded by a gallery. A Welsche dome begins above it, which is repeated after a lantern in a reduced form and with an octagonal ground plan. The stair tower also has a Welsche dome. On the courtyard side, a stone plaque was inserted above the gateway in 1649, on which the history of the castle was inscribed in Latin prose. A translation of the inscription can be found in the gateway. Coming from the freedom, there is an octagonal floating bay to the south of the gateway. The arms of alliance of Alexander II von Velen and his wife Alexandrine von Huyn und Gelen, which can now be seen in the exhibition at the visitor and information center, originally hung above the entrance.
Freedom and chapel.
A rampart to the north and east and a gatehouse with a wall protected the village's freedom. Around 1729, there were around 30 houses in which the courtiers and servants of the castle lords lived. In 1817, the freedom still had 233 citizens. Some of the houses in the freedom are now listed buildings. In one house, the Raesfeld local history association is showing the exhibition "Raesfeld 1939-1945" on the Second World War, while other buildings are used as restaurants, hotels and stores.
The design of the castle chapel by the late Michael van Gent was "modified into a modern form". The columns, round arches and the side towers with Welsch hoods arranged symmetrically to the central axis form a representative portal, which also displays early Baroque forms with the curved pediment and the coat of arms stone above the entrance. The castle chapel was built by Jacob Schmidt around 1658.
The sculptor Dietrich Wichmann worked as a master stonemason, while Andreas Petersen was responsible for the interior decoration. François Walschaerth painted the unsigned altarpiece "The Adoration of the Lord" and eight smaller paintings that no longer exist. Claes Obermöller created the magnificent baroque altar. The organ by Conrad Ruprecht was completed by Whitsun 1659. Below the choir is the family crypt, where locksmith Alexander II of Velen is buried. The black marble tombstone was made during the count's lifetime; the lines for the dates of death were left blank. Alexander II had a second plaque made in the same style for his first wife and his son Paul Ernst. During restoration work in 1962, the "leaden heart" of Christoph Otto von Velen, who died in 1733, was discovered in the crypt and is now kept in a niche on the right side of the choir. The last castle vicar moved out in 1901 and today the chapel is owned by the Catholic parish of St. Martin in Raesfeld.
Organ.
Since 2010, there has been a small organ on the organ stage in the castle chapel, built by the organ building company Stockmann (Werl). The purely mechanical instrument was built in an organ case that was adapted to the style of the chapel's interior.
Castle park and zoo.
A regular, geometric park was laid out to the north of the palace. The work was carried out by "French gardeners and French fountain makers". As well as being used for representation, part of the palace park also served as a kitchen garden. The contract with the sculptor Scharp describes a fountain created in 1655/56: ""The sea god Neptune sitting on a mountain of stones, surrounded by crocodiles, turtles, and grotto creatures"". A fountain with five fountains was also built in 1668. Further work in the palace park can be traced back to 1713. An orangery is shown on the Oßingh map from 1729 and is mentioned in a list from 1770; it probably only disappeared after 1849. The grounds have been used for agriculture since then.
From 1653, Alexander II von Velen had a "zoo" created to the west of the castle as a hunting park. For this purpose, an area of around 100 hectares was enclosed by a rampart around five kilometers long with attached palisades. Local game such as wild boar, roe deer and red deer were kept for hunting within the zoo. However, exotic animals were also kept: The oldest evidence of fallow deer in North Rhine-Westphalia, unknown until then, comes from Raesfeld in 1664. In 1670, John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen presented Alexander II with an "American pregnant buffalo cow, as Your Grace is a particular lover of foreign animals and the best".
The Renaissance landscape design is reflected in the natural alternation of typical regional landscape elements such as mixed beech forests, mixed coniferous forests and scattered carrs, pastures, small fields and heaths. Streams and ponds run like an organic ribbon from the castle in the east to the southwest. As an imitation of nature, these grounds also served to demonstrate the power of the lord of the castle. After the death of Alexander II, Ferdinand Gottfried von Velen continued the expansion of the garden. This included a fountain with four dolphins, created in 1681 and probably built on the vineyard island. Unlike most Renaissance palace gardens, however, Raesfeld Zoo was not significantly transformed by modern forms such as the Baroque park or the English landscape park. The most important innovation in the 18th century was the creation of the Long Pond, which forms a visual axis to the palace, and the draining of the pond to the southwest.
Following the decline of the royal residence, the zoological garden also fell into disuse and subsequently became overgrown. Two-thirds of the rampart has been preserved, but the enclosure with palisades is already missing on a cadastral map from 1824. This indicates that the area had lost its function as a zoo by that time. Subsequently, the publicly accessible woodland area was utilized solely for forestry purposes.
In the early 1990s, a map by Johan Reiner Oßing from 1729 was rediscovered. Upon closer inspection of the map, the Westphalian Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments concluded that the Raesfeld Zoo was one of the oldest preserved Renaissance palace gardens in Germany. However, the idea of reviving the original zoo was considered an unaffordable utopian fantasy. The project was finally realized in 2004 as part of the regional festival " Left and Right of the Ems ". The non-profit association "Zoo Raesfeld Castle" was founded in 2003 and signed a 25-year contract with the owner Dietrich von Landsberg-Velen.
The zoo was redesigned according to a master plan by renowned landscape architect Gerd Aufmkolk. The aim, he says, was ""not to reconstruct it in the sense of preserving a historical monument" but "to make the essential intentions of the Renaissance visible"". An orchard with 40 apple, pear, plum and cherry trees, a heath area and wet meadows were created. Some areas have been cleared and groups of trees felled to create open spaces. These serve as grazing areas for the reintroduced roe, red and fallow deer, which can roam freely in the 130-hectare area surrounded by a modern deer fence.
The zoo is still open to the public and serves as a local recreation area. The area is accessible via circular hiking trails. An educational trail provides information about nature and culture along the way, such as the artesian spring of the Welbrock stream, the ponds and a ruined mill from the early 18th century.
Information and visitors center.
The "Raesfeld Castle Zoo Information and Visitor Center" was opened in spring 2005. The modern building, designed by the architectural firm "Farwick + Grote" from Ahaus, is characterized by its wooden construction, which is encased in a glass façade. In the foyer of the center, visitors can obtain information about tourist attractions in Raesfeld and the region, particularly in the Hohe Mark-Westmünsterland Nature Park.
The upper floor is home to the permanent exhibition on natural and cultural history, "Appearance of a Cultural Landscape - Renaissance" "Zoo Raesfeld". It deals with the history of the castle and the zoo and compares them with other sites. Documents, models, maps and components are on display. Among other things, the original alliance coat of arms of Alexander II von Velen and his wife Alexandrine, which hung above the gateway of the outer bailey, and the restored Oßing map from 1729, which contributed to the discovery of the Renaissance zoo, are on display. Animal specimens and a miniature model of the zoo made of living plants, modeled on Japanese garden art, also serve as vivid exhibits. Other playful information elements place the history of the zoo in the context of the protection of historical cultural landscapes.
In the nature workshop on the first floor, practice-oriented nature and environmental education seminars are offered for all age groups. The adjacent room provides space for the "Raesfeld Forum for Sustainable Regional Development", which offers lectures, conferences and seminars on topics such as environmental and nature conservation, agriculture and forestry.
History.
The lords of the mountain.
Rabodo von dem Berge was documented as the lord of the castle between 1168 and 1174. He belonged to an influential noble family from Montferland in the Duchy of Guelders. The family probably came into possession of Raesfeld Castle through the marriage of Rabodo's father of the same name to a daughter of the House of Gemen. The castle was probably the Kretier castle, which no longer exists. Rabodo probably had the church dedicated to St. Martin built, around which the village of Raesfeld grew.
The next lord of the castle was Heinrich von dem Berge, who was mentioned in a document in 1245. In 1259, his son Adam von dem Berge sold the castle, known as "Raboding-Hof", together with the jurisdiction and patronage of the village church to his distant relative Symon von Gemen (around 1231 - before 1265), who had probably already administered the castle. The knight of the Gemen family later called himself "Symon of Rasvelde." Probably after the purchase, the wooden castle burned down. It was not rebuilt and fell into disrepair when Symon had the first stone castle built on the site of the present castle.
The Knights of Raesfeld.
The descendants of Simon von Raesfeld remained lords of Raesfeld Castle for around 300 years. First his son Mathias von Raesfeld (around 1245 - around 1318) and later his grandson Johann I von Raesfeld (around 1282 - around 1356) took over the castle. The latter was summoned to the Council of the Estates in 1336 by the Prince-Bishop of Münster, Ludwig II von Hessen, where he swore allegiance to the Prince-Bishop. As a result of the collapse of the County of Hamaland, the Duchy of Cleves gained influence in western Münsterland in the 14th century. The feudal system made Raesfeld Castle the "Öffnungsrecht" of the Duchy of Cleves.
Bytter I of Raesfeld (* around 1325; † between 1403 and 1410), the eldest son of John I, became known as a warrior. In an alliance with his brother-in-law, Henry III of Gemen, and John and Goswin of Lembeck, he defeated the Heiden Lord of Wennemar Castle in 1374. The southern part of his manor then came into the possession of Raesfeld. In 1388 Bytter I, his son Johann II, and 25 Raesfeld soldiers came to the aid of the imperial city of Dortmund. The city was besieged by the troops of the Cologne archbishop Friedrich III of Saarwerden and Engelbert III of the Mark and hired knights to defend its freedom. During the raids, the Raesfeld knights captured the besieging knight von der Horst but released him for a ransom. In August 1389, they sacked Recklinghausen in the vest of Electoral Cologne. At the end of 1389, the siege was over and Bytter I of Raesfeld was paid.
He had Raesfeld Castle extended with the wages of war and the spoils of plunder. The new castle was partly built on the foundations of the old stone castle. At the beginning of the 15th century, the property belonging to Raesfeld included, in addition to Raesfeld Castle, the houses Empte near Dülmen-Kirchspiel, Ostendorf near Haltern-Lippramsdorf and Haus Hameren near Billerbeck.
Johann II of Raesfeld (c. 1375 - after 1443) became the new lord of the castle after the death of his father. He became known as a robber baron, and the prince-bishop of Münster, Otto IV, openly called him a highwayman. Another contemporary wrote in 1408: "There was a man named Johann von Raesfeld who plundered the streets and took many goods from the merchants, their clothes, money, and bags, and carried them to his house". John II, on the other hand, was held in high esteem by Emperor Sigismund. For his loyalty as a vassal in war, presumably in the Hussite War of 1420–21, he was granted the right to mint rights. However, due to a lack of masters, workshops, and precious metals, John II probably did not make use of the right to mint coins. In 1427, John II made an agreement with Adolf IV of Cleves, who had been appointed duke: John II was allowed to keep the "Advocatus" revenues from the parish of Raesfeld for twelve years and in return promised to support the Duke of Cleves in his feud with the Archbishop of Cologne. Johann II also received instructions and presumably further funds from Cleves for the fortification of Raesfeld Castle. The work was completed in 1440.
Inheritance dispute.
From 1523, Johann IV of Raesfeld (1492–1551) was the sole lord of the castle, as his mother Frederike moved into her own house. In the summer of 1532, John IV was elected commander-in-chief of the imperial cavalry and moved to Vienna to defend the imperial city in the Ottoman War. In 1535, he assisted the prince-bishop of Münster, Franz von Waldeck, as a field commander in the siege and capture of the city of Münster and the destruction of the Anabaptist kingdom of Münster. As a reward, John IV received the right to build a mill in his parish, the office of Drosten in Ahaus as a fief, and 13,000 gold guilders. His third wife, Irmgard of Boyneburg, gave birth to a boy in November 1550, providing John IV with an heir. In the summer of 1551, John IV died a "hasty death" when he was struck by a falling heavy iron bar.
In 1558, his widow married Goswin of Raesfeld (1494-1579/80), a distant relative of her late husband. Irmgard moved with the young Johann to Goswin at Twickel Castle near Delden, where Goswin Droste was living in Twente. Johann attended the Latin school in Deventer, but died in 1559. Concerned that without his son as heir, he would lose Raesfeld Castle and all its possessions and rights to his relatives, the Lords of Velen and Heiden, Goswin, his stepfather, quickly occupied the castle and claimed the inheritance. On behalf of the Lords of Velen and Heiden, who were now actually entitled to the inheritance, Bernhard von Raesfeld, Prince-Bishop of Münster, filed a lawsuit against his relative Goswin before the Imperial Chamber Court in Speyer. In 1585, the highest German court awarded the castle of Raesfeld to the Lords of Velen, putting an end to the dispute. Irmgard, who had ruled Raesfeld alone since the death of her second husband Goswin in 1579/80, now had to leave the castle with her children.
The Lords of Velen.
Hermann VIII von Velen zu Velen († 1521) had married Margarethe von Raesfeld zu Raesfeld, a sister of John IV von Raesfeld. Hermann and Margarethe's son, Hermann IX von Velen zu Velen (1516–1584), was governor and Droste in Emsland, Rheine and Bevergern and served the prince-bishop as court marshal. His sons became heirs to Raesfeld Castle following the decision of the Imperial Chamber Court in 1585. Raesfeld was to be extended as a border castle in 1589 to protect Münster Abbey from the Eighty Years' War, but Spanish troops occupied the castle in 1590 and prevented the extension.
In 1595, Alexander I von Velen (1556–1630) received the Raesfeld estate when the property of his father Hermann IX, who had died in 1584, was divided up. Alexander I had previously fought against the Turks in the service of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Crown of Bohemia, albeit without much success. In 1597, while Alexander I was visiting the imperial court in Vienna as the diplomatic representative of the Prince-Bishop of Münster, the roof of Raesfeld Castle burned down. On this occasion, Alexander I had the two-storey manor house rebuilt for residential purposes from 1604 to 1606. He had generated the funds for this with the Gottesgabe salt works near Rheine, which belonged to him, and also received a loan of 5000 Reichstaler from the Diet of Münster Abbey and the councillors of the state. In 1612, on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Matthias, Alexander I received the title of "Roman Imperial Majesty's" "appointed colonel" and was knighted. In 1613, an emergency building had to be erected because a violent storm had destroyed a wall of the great hall. With diplomatic skill, the lord of the castle was able to prevent further destruction by the Spanish mercenaries who occupied the castle under the command of Don Loys de Velasco in 1615/16. In 1619, Alexander I was given general command of the entire Münster army. The Thirty Years' War reached Raesfeld when Hessian troops under the Count of Mansfeld occupied and pillaged the castle in the late fall of 1622. In 1628, Alexander I was elevated to the status of Imperial Baron by Emperor Ferdinand II. Two years later, on August 8, 1630, Alexander I von Velen died.
Expansion to a residential palace.
His son Alexander II von Velen (1599–1675), later known as the "Westphalian Wallenstein", took over the castle, which he had already managed independently for some time. He had joined the army at the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War and gained a high reputation in the united army of the Counts of Anholt and Tilly on the imperial side. From 1632, Alexander II fought on behalf of the Elector and Bishop Ferdinand against the Hessian occupiers of Westphalia. In 1634, Alexander II was promoted to General Constable of the Catholic League and given command of all the armed forces of the prince-bishopric. As a reward for his military successes, he was granted special neutrality for Raesfeld Castle. In the summer of 1641, together with the Count of Hatzfeld, he succeeded in capturing the town of Dorsten near Raesfeld, which was occupied by Hessian troops. On October 11, 1641, Alexander II was granted the hereditary title of Imperial Count by Emperor Ferdinand III. In 1644, he received from him the "privilegium exemptionis fori" for his jurisdiction of the Imperial Count. At his request, Alexander II retired from military service in 1646.
Stories were told in the country about the wealth accumulated during military service. Prince-Bishop Ferdinand said of Alexander II: "The Count of Vele had a good war in Westphalia. He must have enjoyed a half million". Between 1646 and 1658, he had the damaged Raesfeld Castle rebuilt into a prestigious residential palace as the center of his aspiring imperial principality. The additions included three additional wings to the main building with a tower, an outer bailey with the so-called Sterndeuter tower, a chapel, as well as lush parks and a zoo. During the construction period, the family and their staff mainly lived in the Hagenbeck House on the Lippe River.
Alexander II had been appointed Field Marshal and Imperial War Councilor in 1653, cultivated his relations with the imperial court and represented the emperor at ceremonies. Many high-ranking personalities stayed at Raesfeld Castle at this time, such as the Bishop of Strasbourg and Elector of Brandenburg Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen. In addition to Raesfeld Castle, Alexander II's possessions included the houses of Krudenburg and Hagenbeck on the Lippe, Horst on the lower Ruhr, Megen in the Duchy of Brabant, Engelrading Castle near Marbeck and Bretzenheim Castle with its Imperial immediacy, which earned him a seat and vote in the Imperial Diet.
Fall of the imperial county.
After the death of Ferdinand Gottfried and his wife Sophie Elisabeth von Limburg-Styrum in 1685, their eldest son Alexander Otto von Velen (1657–1727) became the new lord