Hüffe Castle (Lashorst)

Hüffe Castle is a moated castle built at the end of the 13th century in the village of Lashorst, part of the town of Preußisch Oldendorf in the Minden-Lübbecke district. The complex is located south of the Mittelland Canal in the Alsweder lowlands and covers an area of approximately 7.5 hectares. It is privately owned and, with the exception of the park south of Schlossstraße, is not publicly accessible.

The Hüffe manor is first reliably mentioned in 1439. Like the neighboring Hollwinkel Castle, it formed a western outpost of the Bishopric of Minden. The original owners, the Schloen family, known as Gehle, owned both properties. Since the originally ill-defined border between the County of Ravensberg and the Prince-Bishopric of Minden ran through the estate's lands, the history of the estate until the 18th century is marked by territorial and inheritance disputes, which were even brought before the Imperial Chamber Court in 1609.

Colonel Christoph von Wrisberg, who was lord of the manor from 1554 to 1580, played a major role as a mercenary leader in the disputes with the owners of Hollwinkel Castle. These disputes were also carried out violently. Philipp Wilhelm von Cornberg bought Hüffe Castle in 1593. A new conflict arose with the owners of Hollwinkel Castle, which Philipp Wilhelm von Cornberg finally won with the help of the Landgrave of Hesse. Since the owners of Hollwinkel Castle, the Schloen family, known as Gehle, sought help from the Prince-Bishopric of Minden, it almost led to a war with Hesse-Kassel. Only shortly before his death, after long lawsuits and settlement negotiations, Philipp Wilhelm von Cornberg was able to secure the Hüffe estate for himself and his descendants.

Friedrich Christian Arnold von Jungkenn, a Hessian official, acquired the estate in 1773. Between 1775 and 1784, the castle and park were built in their present form. Von Jungkenn is buried on the burial island in the castle park. The von Jungkenn family remained owners of the complex until 1947.

From 1871 to 1886, Wilhelm Hohoff worked at Hüffe Castle.

The regional association of the German Red Cross acquired the buildings in 1947 and operated a retirement home here until 1997. In 1977, Dr. Hartwig Krukemeyer acquired the property and invested several million DM in the restoration of the castle, park grounds, and surrounding buildings. Krukemeyer had opened a clinic on the outskirts of Osnabrück in 1970, which developed into one of the largest private hospital companies, the Paracelsus Clinics. He was honored with the Grand Cross of Merit in 1990 and died in 1994. His widow, Katharina Countess von Schwerin-Krukemeyer, is now the owner and resides in the castle.