Forgotten almost, Haus Steinhausen stands as a testament to time. Haus Steinhausen sits here in Dortmund-Holzen. It is northwest of the Westhofener Kreuz, right by the A1 autobahn. Once a moated castle, Haus Steinhausen whispers tales of knights and nobility.
Haus Steinhausen was first mentioned in the 15th century. It held the title of the smallest knight’s seat in the Westhofen Reichshof. Imagine the clatter of hooves. Picture the banners fluttering above its walls.
In 1672, during the Franco-Dutch War, French soldiers invaded Haus Steinhausen. They marched across the frozen moat. They set fire to the castle. Reconstruction did not begin until around 1700. The Blankennagel noble family later owned Haus Steinhausen.
The years passed. Haus Steinhausen underwent extensive renovations in the 1990s. But tragedy struck in 1999. A fire consumed the manor house. On June 10, 2015, another fire damaged Haus Steinhausen again.
Haus Steinhausen was once a vital traffic hub. The Rosenweg road crossed the ancient Via Regia here. The Via Regia is better known as the Helweg. It stretched from Cologne to Paderborn.
Brauksiepen Creek flowed near Haus Steinhausen. It fed a chain of thirteen terraced fish ponds. These ponds supplied the moat around Haus Steinhausen. Remnants of the pond dams can still be seen today.
In 1827, the estate included a two-story residential tower from 1628. There was also a gatehouse and a farm building from 1700. A manor house was added in 1712. Other structures existed in 1712. These included a brewery, two sheepfolds, and a pigsty built in 1690. A small watermill stood on the grounds. A smithy mentioned in 1705 was probably located in the brewery.
Today, only fragments of Haus Steinhausen remain. Little survives above ground from the medieval structure. Originally, Haus Steinhausen likely featured a two-island water castle design.
Haus Steinhausen possessed special rights. In 1712, these rights were listed during the estate’s sale. They included church rights, brewery privileges, a dovecote, and fishing rights on the Ruhr River. The estate had three women’s pews in the Syburg church. It also had two burial plots in the cemetery. As the smallest knight’s seat, Haus Steinhausen had limited commonage rights.
In 1543, Haus Steinhausen paid only 4 gold guilders in Burgundian land tax. This made it the lowest assessed among the knight’s seats. The estate included fields, pastures, woods, and fish ponds. Orchards with plum, cherry, and apple trees also grew here.
Inventories from 1712 reveal the crops grown. Peas, broad beans, rapeseed, sugar peas, and onions were cultivated. Livestock included sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, geese, chickens, and “Pilen.”
Despite its small size, Haus Steinhausen produced surpluses. It sold bacon, ham, sausages, and grain. Dortmund served as the market for its fish.
Around 1708, about nine people were employed at Haus Steinhausen. These included a foreman, a farmhand, a horse groom, a blacksmith’s widow, a kitchen maid, and a livestock maid. Shepherds and swineherds were also likely employed.
In the 15th century, Haus Steinhausen belonged to the Wandhofen family. Elisabeth von Wandhof received it as a dowry in 1480. She married Johann Nagel. Their grandson, Nagel von Mengede, married Christina Schencking in 1596.
After Nagel von Mengede drowned in 1615, Christina moved to Haus Steinhausen. In 1628, she completed the two-story residential tower. She lived there until her death in 1633. Her coat of arms adorns the entrance.
In 1672, French marauders attacked Haus Steinhausen. They looted valuables and set fire to the buildings. Only the residential building was saved from destruction. In 1700, the damaged farm building and gatehouse were rebuilt.
Christoph Albert von Rump acquired Haus Steinhausen through marriage. He was a soldier in the service of the Cologne Elector. He was known for his litigious nature.
In 1712, Franz von Rump sold Haus Steinhausen to Zacharias Kaspar von Pöppinghausen. The Pöppinghausen family rebuilt the dilapidated manor house. Their coat of arms still graces the entrance.
Later, Haus Steinhausen passed to Otto von Blankennagel. His sons’ gambling debts forced him to sell the estate. Over time, Haus Steinhausen fell into civilian hands.
Haus Steinhausen slowly decayed. A new owner began renovations in the late 1990s. But a fire in 1999 destroyed the old manor house. The future of Haus Steinhausen remains uncertain.
Today, Haus Steinhausen stands as a reminder of bygone eras. Its stones echo with tales of war, nobility, and resilience. Take a moment to reflect on the stories whispered by these ancient walls.