Kasteel de Dieudonné

Kasteel de Dieudonné is a historic manor house standing in Korbeek-Lo, a village that forms part of the municipality of Bierbeek in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The building sits on Holleweg and, together with its surrounding grounds, makes up what is known today as Domein Hottat, a notable landmark of this small rural community.

Where does the name come from?

The current name traces back to the de Dieudonné family, who acquired the estate in 1836 when Louis-Alexandre de Dieudonné became its owner. Before that, the site had served as the seat of a local lordship. The property is also known by an alternative name, Kasteel Hottat, after later owners of the estate.

What did the original building look like?

The earliest documented depiction of the manor appears on the Ferraris maps, drawn up between 1771 and 1775. They show a U-shaped building facing south, built on a moated island — a layout typical of noble residences in this region during the eighteenth century. In 1856, a small ornamental tower, or folly, was added to the grounds, serving as a lookout point within the park.

What role did the manor play during the First World War?

In the summer of 1914, between 5 and 19 August, the building served as the headquarters of King Albert I of Belgium. This was a critical period at the outset of the war, as the Belgian army attempted to hold back the advancing German offensive. Shortly afterward, still in 1914, the building was burned down by German soldiers, a fate shared by many neighbouring estates and villages across Brabant.

What happened to the manor after it was destroyed?

Baron de Dieudonné had the manor rebuilt in the early 1920s, though the new structure was not raised on exactly the same spot as its predecessor. Instead of standing beside the former moat, the rebuilt house was positioned closer to the nearby forest, changing the character of the estate's immediate surroundings while remaining part of the same landholding.

What is Domein Hottat today?

Today the manor and its grounds form Domein Hottat, an estate that is part of the historical heritage of the municipality of Bierbeek. The site illustrates a pattern common to noble residences in the region: an early-modern family seat, wartime destruction, and reconstruction in a new form and location during the interwar period.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Kasteel de Dieudonné located? In Korbeek-Lo, part of the municipality of Bierbeek in the province of Flemish Brabant, on Holleweg.

Can the manor be visited? The building belongs to the Domein Hottat estate; public access depends on the current arrangements set by its owners or the municipality.

Why is the manor also called Kasteel Hottat? This is an alternative name derived from later owners of the estate, used interchangeably with the name linked to the de Dieudonné family.

What happened to the manor during the First World War? It served as the headquarters of King Albert I in August 1914 and was subsequently burned down by German troops later that same year.

When was the manor rebuilt? Reconstruction took place in the early 1920s, on a new spot within the estate, closer to the forest than the original moated site.