Haus Horst, Water castle and architectural heritage monument in Heek, Germany.
Haus Horst is a water castle on the Ahauser Aa river in Heek, featuring a manor house in northwestern German style surrounded by moats. The building combines several service structures and shows the typical layout of fortified construction and living quarters.
Around 1580, Jakob von Keppel and his wife Elsebe von Münster commissioned its construction and initially named it Haus Keppelhorst. About 100 years later, Heinrich Bruchhausen, a secretary to the Bishop, carried out extensive renovations that shaped its appearance until today.
The castle shows the building style of water fortifications in the region, where defensive features blend with a residence for the nobility. This design was widespread across Westphalia and continues to shape the landscape today.
The castle is private property and cannot be visited inside, but it can be photographed and viewed from designated exterior viewpoints. The Ahauser Aa river provides good access to the grounds for external views.
The name changed from Haus Keppelhorst to Haus Horst, but the exact reasons for this renaming remain unclear. This linguistic shift reflects how buildings and their names evolve through history.
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