Burg Cloppenburg

Burg Cloppenburg stood in the town centre of Cloppenburg on the southern bank of the Soeste. It was built in the 13th century by the counts of Tecklenburg to protect their northern lands. The first structure was a small defended house near the settlement of Krapendorf, later replaced by a larger water-filled fortress. The fortress became an important administrative centre for the region. In 1297 a steward was recorded there, showing its role in local government. After a siege in 1393 the Tecklenburg counts lost control and the bishop of Münster took over. Between 1400 and 1411 the bishop expanded the site into a larger castle with corner towers and defensive walls. Today only the restored foundations of a round tower remain visible in the town park. The tower’s base is nearly ten metres across with walls over two metres thick. Nearby, parts of the old great hall survive in the courthouse. The castle’s double moat and inner rampart once enclosed an area of about 200 by 180 metres, but only fragments now mark where the drawbridge once stood.