Kasteel Geldrop

Local history

From 1974 the council of Geldrop bought the castle and grounds in the centre of the municipality of the heirs of the late baronesse C.F.H. van Tuyll van Serooskerken-Quarles van Ufford. In 1996 the council of Geldrop sold the castle to the Foundation Kasteel Geldrop for the symbolic amount of one guilder.

The first owners of the castle are Jan and Philip van Geldrop. They were probably the builders of the castle in 1350. The following century the castle remains in the Van Geldrop family.
The construction of the present day castle was started in 1616, when Amandus I van Horne had the middle facade built. There is still a door post in the castle that reminds us of him. It holds the coats of arms of this illustrous family.

In 1768 the heirs of Van Horne sold the manor to Adriaan van Sprangh. The latterīs coat of arms is situated upon the western facade of the castle. The new Lord of Geldrop had the castle and living-tower renovated. In 1798 feudal rights ended with the French Revolution. The title of Lord of Geldrop was now an empty one.

In the 19th century the castle came into the hands of the Hoevenaar family. Under the ownership of Sara Hoevenaar, 1n 1840, the medieval living tower was demolished. During Hubertus Hoevenaar (see photo) the castle got its present look. The gatelodge disappeared and became living quarters, a side building (where the terrace is now situated) disappeared and the sidewing was raised. A coat of arms that is fastened to the facade reminds us of Hubertus Hoevenaar. His daughter Arnaudina married baron Van Tuyll van Serooskerken. They lived in the castle permently from 1912. Two generations supplied councillors to the corporation of the municipality, which stresses the ties between Geldrop and its castle (from 1921 to 1938 and from 1945 to 1953).

At the moment more than 100 weddings take place, 9 classical concerts and 6 exhibitions are organised per year at the castle. In the attic there is a small museum where lots of material is exhibited, given by the Geldrop people in the last 40 years. In the library everyone can skim a book every sunday between 2 and 5 pm.
The castle is situated in an English landscape garden, with flower gardens (Baron zīn Hof) , a childrens farm and an Nature Information Centre.

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