Haddenhausen Castle

Haddenhausen Castle is a 17th-century castle built in the Weser Renaissance style, located north of the Haddenhausen district of the city of Minden in the Minden-Lübbecke district.

The origins of the estate lie in the 11th century, as the Bishop of Minden acquired the estate as early as 1254. At the end of the 14th century, the castellan of Vlotho, Ludolf von Mönnichhausen (Münchhausen), was pledged possession of the Haddenhausen estate by the Minden Bishop Gerhard III von Hoya.

Around 1460, the estate was destroyed in a feud between the Bishops of Minden and Osnabrück. From 1457, the estate was owned by the von Münchhausen family. When the Reformation was introduced in Minden, Johann von Münchhausen became a champion of Catholicism and instigated armed conflicts with the city of Minden, which ended in 1530 with his defeat and the destruction of the complex. His son Christoph von Münchhausen took over the Haddenhausen estate; his son Johann von Münchhausen was Bishop of Courland and Ösel and canon in Verden.

After a long dispute over ownership and the deterioration of financial circumstances, the estate was sold in 1610 to the von dem Bussche-Lohe family, who were related to the Münchhausens. Johann von dem Bussche then had the castle built in the Weser Renaissance style between 1613 and 1616. The master builder was Eberhard Wilkening, who also built the Pied Piper House in Hameln. It is a two-winged castle complex with a bay window, a stair tower, and many ornaments. South of the castle are farm buildings and the chapel.