Haus Merfeld, Manor house in Dülmen, Germany.
Haus Merfeld is a manor house in Dülmen featuring grand facades and architectural details typical of North Rhine-Westphalian estate construction. The building comprises several wings arranged around courtyards that emphasize its formal and stately character.
Records first document a castle at this location in 1358. The structure was later reshaped into its current unified form in 1693 and has defined the property's appearance since then.
The estate is still the residence of the Dukes of Croÿ, who moved here after Schloss Dülmen was destroyed in 1945; they also keep the Dülmener wild horses. The chapel of St. Antonius Abt, begun in 1466 and extended westward in the 19th century, is a low, flat-roofed hall with pointed-arch windows. The gatehouse of 1547 carries lozenge patterns of glazed brick.
Haus Merfeld is a private residence of the Dukes of Croÿ and is not open to visitors; the house and chapel can only be viewed from the public road. The gatehouse of 1547 and the chapel of St. Antonius Abt stand behind the remains of the former moat, so the complex is best seen from outside.
Between 1918 and 1920, the house served as the private residence of German Chancellor Franz von Papen. After this period, the property passed to the Croÿ family, who have shaped its story since then.
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