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Wijlre Castle courtyard, on the Geul river in the village of Wijlre, Netherlands, Limburg municipality of Gulpen-Wittem. #362218731
Description
The oldest mention of Wijlre dates from 1040, when King Hendrik III gave Wijlre to his niece Ermengardis. In 1389 there is mention of a fortified house. Wijlre belonged to the Holy Roman Empire. The German eagle can be found in the municipal coat of arms of Wijlre as a witness to this. The heart shield bears the coat of arms of the Van Wachtendonck family, who resided at the castle from the second half of the 17th century until 1768.The castle was purchased for residential purposes in 1981 by art collectors Jo and Marlies Eyck, who established the Hedge House museum in the outbuildings and a pavilion built in 2001.