Princely Pantheon of Salm-Salm, Anholt, Princely pantheon in Isselburg, Germany
The Princely Pantheon of Salm-Salm is a hexagonal brick chapel plastered in a cream tone, with leaded segmental-arch windows and a slate-covered baroque onion dome topped by a lantern shaped like the chapel itself. Entrance and altar vestibules stand on opposite sides; the entrance gable holds a crucifix niche. Inside, epitaphs cover the walls above the crypt, and about 70 graves lie in the surrounding cemetery.
The chapel was built in 1672 on behalf of Karl Theodor Otto zu Salm as a mission station for Catholics from the Achterhoek, who could not practise their religion freely in the Dutch Republic; the large turnout led to its elevation to an independent vicariate in 1675. After religious freedom made it redundant, Konstantin zu Salm-Salm decided in 1804 to convert it into the family burial place; rebuilding began in 1811, the first princely burials followed in 1813, when coffins of ancestors were moved here from St. Pankratius in Anholt.
The entrance displays a double-winged wooden door painted in black and white diamonds, framed by pilasters and topped with a baroque coat of arms of alliance. This ornate design reflects the family's connection to local nobility.
The chapel stands on Kapellendeich in the Regniet hamlet, at the end of an avenue running straight from Anholt, which frames it as a point de vue. The cemetery is entered through two wrought-iron gates set in a low polygonal brick wall, each reached by a small brick bridge over a dry moat. The site is privately owned by the princely house, so visits should be arranged with the owners in advance.
The oldest grave slab is that of Dietrich II von Bronckhorst-Batenburg, Lord of Anholt (1478–1549), dated 1552; it was evidently moved here from elsewhere. The chapel itself was built in 1672 for Catholics from the neighbouring Achterhoek, who could not worship freely in the Dutch Republic.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,796 contributors worldwide.