Wedderborg: A Historic Castle in Westerwolde, Netherlands

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.4

Popularity: Very Low

Google Maps: View on Google Maps

Country: Netherlands

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Wedderborg is a historic castle situated in the municipality of Westerwolde in the Netherlands. It was established in the late Middle Ages by the Addinga family, who originally came from the Frisian region but lost their lands due to natural disasters and political struggles. Around 1360 to 1370, Adde (also known as Egge) Addinga received the heerlijkheid Westerwolde, a type of manorial lordship, as a fief from both the abbot of the Abbey of Corvey and the bishop of Münster. With this grant, he founded Wedderborg as the administrative center from which the Lords of Westerwolde governed.

Throughout the following centuries, the borg served as the place where regional authorities exercised justice and managed their territories. The Addinga family faced persistent challenges in asserting their control, leading to tensions with local inhabitants and the powerful city of Groningen. These conflicts culminated in 1478 when Groningen forces destroyed the borg after disputes over jurisdiction and its fortifications. Nevertheless, the borg was reconstructed in 1486 by Haye Addinga, authorized by the bishop of Münster to restore its defenses.

During the first half of the 16th century, Wedderborg became a contested site amid wider European conflicts. In 1530, it was briefly captured by Charles II of Guelders, a regional ruler with territorial ambitions. Only a few years later, in 1536, the borg fell under the authority of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, thus bringing it firmly into the imperial fold. The turbulent period of the Dutch Revolt saw the borg change hands multiple times between Spanish and Dutch forces. By 1594, it was incorporated into the Dutch Republic’s Generality Lands, territories administered directly by the Dutch government.

Until the early 19th century, Wedderborg remained the seat of the court of Westerwolde, where local legal matters—including criminal trials—were conducted. Between 1587 and 1597, several witch trials took place here, after which such prosecutions were prohibited. Ownership shifted to the city of Groningen in 1619, which maintained control until the French revolutionary era abolished the traditional heerlijkheid rights. During this time, the borg functioned as the residence and office of the drost, a bailiff representing Groningen’s authority.

In 1828, the estate was purchased by a private individual, the notary Arnold Hendrik Koning, who undertook renovations that included removing a prison tower and treasury house, effectively preserving the borg from demolition. The Koning family held the property until 1955. Afterward, ownership passed to local water management authorities and later to the municipality of Bellingwedde. The borg underwent further restorations and was adapted for use as a hotel and restaurant in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Noteworthy historical figures associated with the borg include Derck Haselhoff, a 17th-century official, and Rudolf de Mepsche, a controversial 18th-century bailiff. Archaeological research has also investigated local tales, including a legend of a secret underground passage linking the borg to a nearby execution hill known as Geselberg, but no physical evidence has been found.

As of the early 2020s, discussions concerning the future use and potential sale of Wedderborg by the municipality of Westerwolde are ongoing.

Remains

Wedderborg presents as a castle-type borg located along the Westerwoldse Aa river, near the current Dutch-German border. The existing structure incorporates architectural elements from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, reflecting its complex history of construction and rebuilding. Prominent parts include a cellar dating to the 14th century, a wing from the 15th century, and an additional wing and tower added in the 16th century. Originally, the borg stood surrounded by a moat, enhancing its defensive capabilities during the medieval period.

In the 16th century, particularly in 1532 under the direction of Berend van Hackfort, the borg’s fortifications were extensively improved with the addition of a ring wall featuring four bastions—fortified angles designed for defensive artillery—and a new gatehouse containing prison cells. Notably, construction materials for this expansion were partially sourced by demolishing the nearby church tower of Vlagtwedde. The tower of the borg also bears a coat of arms belonging to Georg Schenk van Toutenburg, a regional administrator or drost in the 1530s.

Over time, the castle’s fortifications underwent reduction, with the last corner tower dismantled around the mid-17th century and the bastions being gradually demolished in the 18th century, including the last one circa 1750. In the 19th century, important structures such as the prison tower and the treasury house were removed during renovations initiated by the Koning family after they acquired the property.

The site also includes landscaped grounds surrounded by a moat, with access provided by a bridge and gate, which retain much of the historical character. Excavations conducted since the mid-20th century have uncovered parts of the southern corner bastion, and reconstruction efforts have focused on preserving the existing fabric of the building. In 1994, a new moat was dug to restore some aspects of the original defensive water system.

A former forecourt building served as the court house of the heerlijkheid from the 1530s, which also functioned as an inn. This building was moved to Bourtange in 1593 but was later reconstructed on its initial site. Decorative elements include a stone bearing the coat of arms of the city of Groningen, dated 1658 and placed in 1968 to commemorate restoration efforts carried out between 1653 and 1658.

The borg stands today as a rijksmonument, a protected national heritage site since 1972. Inside, some rooms such as the Haselhoff Sociëteit highlight local family histories connected to the borg. Local traditions once spoke of an underground tunnel connecting Wedderborg to the nearby execution hill called Geselberg. However, archaeological investigations have found no physical traces to validate this story, leaving it in the realm of legend rather than documented fact.