Kasteel Hemsrode

Kasteel Hemsrode is a castle and surrounding estate located in the Belgian municipality of Anzegem, in the province of West Flanders. The property sits along a road bearing the same name, Hemsrode, and for centuries served as the seat of the lords of Hemsrode — the most important lordship within Anzegem, though distinct from the lordship of the village itself.

Where does the name come from and who were the first owners?

The earliest documented lord of Hemsrode was Joos van Hemsrode, recorded in 1283–1284, and it is from his family that the estate took its name. In 1344, Wouter van Halewijn is recorded as owner, and the Van Halewijn family held the property until 1444, when the lordship was sold to Roeland van Uitkerke. Over the following decades, through marriage, the estate passed to the Van Borselen family and later to the Van Brederode family — a typical pattern of inheritance among Flemish landed nobility of the period.

How did ownership change over the following centuries?

In 1536 Hemsrode was purchased by Jan Crombach, and just two years later, in 1538, the estate passed to Joris van Lummene. A genuine turning point came in 1658, when Nicolaas du Jardin bought the lordship. He found the castle in ruins and undertook its reconstruction, completed in 1660 — a rebuilding that largely shaped the character of the structure known in later centuries. After du Jardin, the estate changed hands several more times before being acquired, at the end of the eighteenth century, by the noble de Thiennes family.

How far back does the site's history actually go?

Although the first written references to the lords of Hemsrode date from the late thirteenth century, the history of the site itself likely reaches much further back. It is believed that the moats surrounding the former residence may have been laid out as early as around the year 900, probably on the initiative of the Sint-Pietersabdij in Ghent — one of the oldest and most influential Benedictine abbeys in Flanders. If this dating holds, it would mean the Hemsrode site was already developed land long before the first feudal lords known by name appeared in the records.

What happened to the castle during the Second World War?

Hemsrode's turbulent history extended into the twentieth century as well. During the Second World War, the castle was occupied and used by German soldiers — a fate shared by many landed estates and manor houses across occupied Belgium, whose layout and buildings made them suitable as military quarters.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Kasteel Hemsrode located? The castle lies in the municipality of Anzegem, in the province of West Flanders, along the road named Hemsrode.

Who was the first known owner of the estate? Joos van Hemsrode, recorded in 1283–1284, is the first documented lord of Hemsrode.

When was the castle rebuilt after falling into ruin? Nicolaas du Jardin, who acquired the lordship in 1658, rebuilt the derelict castle, with the work completed in 1660.

Does the site predate its first known owners? Yes — the moats surrounding the former residence may date back to around the year 900, likely established on the initiative of the Sint-Pietersabdij in Ghent, well before the first feudal lords known by name.

Which was the last noble family known to have owned the estate? At the end of the eighteenth century, the property passed to the de Thiennes family.