History is still very much alive in our country. The Netherlands still has many beautiful castles, the foundations of which were already laid in the Middle Ages. Dussen Castle in the eponymous Dussen is one of them. Dussen Castle bears traces of construction and extensions in various style periods, which makes it an interesting castle. Dussen Castle is worth a visit!
Duss
History shows that the Heerlijkheid Dussen already existed in the twelfth century, in the border area of the Duchy of Brabant and the County of Holland. Some lords van der Dussen are reported in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. A fortified house was probably part of this manor as the residence of these lords.
Donjon
The fortified house was converted into a keep, a fortified residential tower of four floors, by Jan VI van Heusden in 1330. During this period, the reinforcement was mainly aimed against actions by the Dutch counts.
Castle
Arend II van der Dussen , grandson of Jan VI van Heusden, received permission from the Count of Holland in 1387 to develop the keep into a castle. It is remarkable how quickly sentiments for and against the Dutch counts were turned. Arent chose against the count during the Hoekse and Kabeljauwse quarrels, but was forgiven by the count in 1403.
Elisabeth Flood
In November 1421, around Elisabeth’s name day, an unprecedented flood disaster occurred, the Elisabeth Flood . Due to dike breaches, large parts of the country were flooded and probably around two thousand people died. The castle, which was only thirty years old at this time, was largely destroyed by the water. Walls that remained standing were partly demolished by residents to have stones with which to rebuild their own houses.
Courtyard of Dussen Castle. In the background the entrance gate
Reconstruction
The land of Altena, to which Dussen belonged, was partly under water due to the Elisabeth Flood. To prevent new floods, the country had to be re-provided with dikes, a job that was carried out between 1422 and 1460. It would take until 1456 before Floris I van der Dussen and especially his son Jan V started rebuilding the castle. The entrance gate and the lower parts of the towers date from this period.
Decline and recovery
The castle was damaged by the war during the Eighty Years’ War. When the castle was sold in 1607 to Walraven van Gent, lord of Oijen, he started a renovation to repair all this damage. He took the opportunity to restore the castle in Tuscan style, with a Renaissance gallery in the courtyard. The year 1609 is written on the facade stone above the door, the year that the renovation work was completed. Too bad for Walraven, but the costs of the purchase and renovation had risen so high that he had to sell the castle.
Colonnade along the courtyard
French time
The castle also suffered damage during the French period. Once again, this damage had to be repaired, and the then owner, Eduard van der Schueren , also took the opportunity to have the necessary renovation work carried out. The upper gallery dates from this period.
Residents
Remarkably, the castle would no longer be occupied by owners for a long time. They were stewards who ruled. In 1901, the owner made the castle available to the Carmelite sisters, who used the castle as a monastery until 1920. The necessary chapel was added during this period. In 1924 the castle was sold again to the Suringar family .
Suitable for demolition
Freule Suringar lived in the castle until her death in 1931. The state of maintenance was not good, and when the castle was sold it was recommended that it was ‘very suitable for demolition’. Fortunately, the municipality of Dussen managed to prevent this by purchasing it itself. The municipality wanted to use the castle as a town hall.
Dussen Castle
City Hall
After the necessary restoration work, the castle was severely damaged by the war in 1944. New repair work was necessary, but could not start immediately after the war. It would take until 1953 before the castle was restored again. So it all took longer than intended, but in 1953 the municipality was able to use the castle as a town hall.
Municipal reorganization
Due to the wave of municipal reorganizations, many smaller municipalities disappeared in the late 1990s. Dussen also lost its independence, and the castle was no longer needed as a town hall. In 2003 the castle was transferred to the NV Monumenten Fonds Brabant . The management of the castle is now carried out by the Friends of Dussen Castle Foundation.
Contemporary use
Fortunately, the castle is still accessible and can be admired. If you enter the gate over the bridge you can view the courtyard with the colonnades. Guided tours are possible. Special events and parties are organized in the castle. In any case, the castle has also retained a municipal function, it can be used as a wedding location. If you visit this castle, you can admire the castle yourself, which is located in beautiful surroundings. Worth the effort!