Burg Wolfsberg

Burg Wolfsberg stands on an island in the Stever river near Lüdinghausen in the Coesfeld district. The water-filled moat still surrounds the main stronghold, a remnant of the medieval fortress. Only one wing of the original castle survives today, its core dating from the 16th century. A ring wall once enclosed the entire complex, and an old post mill still turns on top of it. The Stever once linked the castle to the town by earthen causeways that were removed in the 19th century. The fortress began as a wooden motte built without the bishop’s permission in 1270. After its swift demolition the next year, a second wooden castle rose in 1314 and was destroyed in 1324. Rebuilt once more, it passed through the families von Hake, von Schenckinck and von der Recke before the von Boeselager line inherited it in 1778. The present manor house was erected in Renaissance style in the 16th century and remodelled around 1830 by architect Carl Schuler in classical fashion. Visitors find a long, plain plaster building with a low hipped roof and a central projection. A round stair turret projects from the west wall, and a small annex with a lean-to roof sits beside it. The main island is surrounded by a broad moat, while the former outer ward to the east once held rows of small houses along a lane. The castle’s cellar vaults are said to lie beneath the manor, and the ring wall offers a wide view over the surrounding countryside.