Sterckshof Castle

Sterckshof Castle, locally known as Kasteel Sterckshof, lies in the city of Antwerp, in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish region in Belgium.

The earliest record of a structure at this site dates back to the 13th century, when a fortified and moated farm called "Hooftvunder" existed here. It was probably used to defend a nearby wooden bridge over the Groot Schijn stream.

Over the following centuries, the farm expanded into a larger manor until 1524, when Gerard Sterck, a merchant, banker, and advisor to Emperor Charles V, purchased it. He had the manor rebuilt into a Renaissance-style castle, which was then called Sterckshof (Stercks' Court).

The Jesuits from Lier owned the castle from 1693. When the order was dissolved, the castle was sold at a public auction in 1778 to banker Jan Baptist Cogels, who merged it with his neighboring estate, Ter Rivieren.

In 1921, the Antwerp Provincial Council bought the Ter Rivieren estate with plans to transform it into the current Rivierenhof Park. By that time, only a one-story front building with a tower, the entrance gate, and a few outbuildings of the Sterckshof remained. The following year, plans for rebuilding the castle were drawn up. During the 1930s, it was reconstructed entirely based on historical images and archaeological excavations, resulting in its present appearance. In the 1950s, interior architectural elements from demolished mansions in Antwerp’s city center were incorporated into the castle.

It served as a silver museum until 2014, when the last museum moved out due to restrictions that prevented site expansion. Afterward, it stood empty for years. Recently, plans were presented to restore the castle and turn it into a museum again, this time about art.

Currently, Sterckshof Castle can still only be viewed from the outside. Although it is not an authentic castle and mainly a 20th-century reconstruction, I still find its appearance appealing.

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