Moerser Schloss

Moerser Schloss is the oldest known building in Moers. Located in the heart of the city, it is still a cultural meeting point, a tourist attraction and recreational site.
The original place, parts of which are still extant, was built ca. 1200. There is no better information available, since during the great fire of 1605 many records were destroyed. All we know is that the original palace was flanked by a square tower made of trass. Parts of this tower have been integrated into the new tower. The polygon palace wall from the 13th century is also partly extant.
When the site was expanded in the 15th and 16th century, the structure of the castle was changed for the first time. It was reinforced with bastions and fortified according to the Old-Dutch system.
After a Moers entrepreneur had bought the palace in 1810, it was no longer used for defence purposes but was made a garden park. The inner fortifications were removed, brick buildings orientated toward the inner courtyard were built and the surrounding area leased out to citizens.
In 1836, the surrounding area criss-crossed by mounds was turned into a park, later expanded into palace gardens. The entrepreneur, operating in the textiles industry, commissioned Düsseldorf garden architect Maximilian Weyhe to draw up the plans. He created a park in the English style, which is still accessible to the public. Over time, the park was completed by a rose garden and various recreational facilities.
The palace has been owned by the City of Moers since 1905. In 1938, it saw to the conversion of the premises to accommodate the Grafschafter Museum, a local history museum. Even then, the palace and the park developed into a cultural meeting point. In 1975, the city theatre also moved into the palace’s basement.

Author: Editorial baukunst-nrw
Last changed on 25.03.2008

Categories:
Architecture » Public Buildings » Palaces/Castles/fortifications