Castle Steinhausen

Schloss Steinhausen stands on the edge of the Muttental mining trail in the Bommern district of Witten, south of the Ruhr. Its landmark is a round tower on the east side of the estate, now missing its helmet after repairs in 1999. The complex began as a fortified house called Steenhus in the late 13th century, built by Bernhard von Witten to guard a Ruhr crossing. The estate passed through several noble families. The Staël von Holsteins owned it for nearly three hundred years, then the Elverfeldts, before a series of owners in the 19th century. In 1893 the local builder Friedrich Wilhelm Dünkelberg remodelled the whole site in the Historist style, giving it the look it still shows today. Visitors can walk through the small park and see the buildings from outside. Inside the grounds stands the three-storey medieval tower, its spiral stair added in the 19th century. Nearby is the stepped-gable house of 1607 with its dated inscription and coat of arms. The former manor house now houses a restaurant, while other wings serve as artists’ studios. A permanent display of Shona sculptures from Zimbabwe, including works by Raymond Chataira, can be seen in the park and an old outbuilding.