Jagdschloss Sankt Meinolf, Former manor house in the Arnsberg Forest near Möhnesee, Germany
Jagdschloss Sankt Meinolf is a castle-like former manor in the Unterer Arnsberger Wald near Neuhaus, part of Stockum in the Möhnesee municipality. Built in 1891 and enlarged in 1911, it has round-arched and rectangular windows in stone surrounds, rich half-timbering on the upper floors, varied hipped roofs and a decorative tower with a pyramidal roof and lantern. The listed Forsthaus Wilhelmsruh, a 1914 house with open arcades and a loggia above, stands nearby.
The castle was built in 1891 as a hunting residence for Hamburg banker Conrad Hinrich Donner. A renovation in 1911 by architect Graf Karl-Wilhelm von Hardenberg gave it its current appearance.
The name Sankt Meinolf dates from 1947, when the Archdiocese of Paderborn set up an educational centre here; before that the house was called Wilhelmsruh, then Conradsruh after 1911. The name refers to the site's later church use, not to a hunting patron. The nearby listed Forsthaus Wilhelmsruh, built in 1914 with open arcades and a loggia above, keeps the older name alive.
The building stands in the Unterer Arnsberger Wald near Neuhaus, surrounded by the Arnsberger Wald nature reserve, about five kilometres south of Stockum in the municipality of Möhnesee. It is in private hands since 2014, so visits are limited to the exterior; the nearby listed Forsthaus Wilhelmsruh, built in 1914 with open arcades and a loggia, is a second building to look for.
The Donner family used its links to Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo to settle non-native game in the Arnsberg Forest; most species have since vanished, but sika deer still hold out there. The house itself was the last castle built in the Sauerland.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,361 contributors worldwide.