Gemert Monastery Castle - Gemert

During his lifetime, nobleman Rutger van Gemert (ca. 1150 - ca. 1220) joined the Teutonic Order as a knight. After his death, he bequeathed his possessions to the order, which resulted in Gemert and Handel falling under their authority. The Teutonic Order was a spiritual order of knights with branches in Germany, Austria, Poland and the Baltic states. As a result, Gemert did not fall under the rule of the Duke of Brabant, but remained an independent state within the Netherlands for almost six centuries.

The commandry of Gemert grew into an important and prosperous establishment. Construction of the castle began in 1391. From the 16th to the 18th century, the commandry was an important regional spiritual centre, and a Latin school was also established there in the 16th century.

In 1794 the free state came to an end and the fate of the castle remained uncertain for a long time. After housing a mechanical cotton mill, it was purchased by Jesuits at the end of the 19th century. In 1916, the priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritijnen) moved into the castle. They too have since left the castle.

The main building of Gemert Castle was built in 1740 on the foundations of the medieval cellars. The oldest part, the former keep from 1548, is located in front of the main building. You enter the grounds through the gatehouse, which dates from around 1600. The castle is surrounded by the gardens and lands that belong to it.

Photo: ©Brabant Partners