Colpach Castle
Encyclopedia
Colpach Castle located in Colpach-Bas
near Ell
in western Luxembourg
, dates from the beginning of the 14th century when it was a stronghold. It was adapted as a manor house in the 18th century. Today it is a convalescent centre run by the Red Cross.
. They spent their summers in Colpach Castle and the winters in Paris
. In 1886, Franz Liszt
visited the couple in Colpach shortly before his death. After 1900, the castle was increasingly deserted by Munkácsy's widow who died in 1915. Émile Mayrisch
, head of ARBED
, bought the property in 1917. Together with his wife Aline, he made the castle a centre of attraction for noteworthy politicians, economists, writers and artists between the two world wars. Guests included Walther Rathenau
, André Gide
, Jacques Rivière
, Otto Bartning
and Théo van Rysselberghe
.
In 1947, Aline Mayrisch
bequeathed the castle to the Red Cross for use as a convalescent home. The facilities have been constantly improved over the years.
Colpach-Bas
Colpach-Bas is a village in the commune of Ell, in western Luxembourg. , the village has a population of 105.Colpach Castle dates from the beginning of the 14th century when it was a stronghold. It was adapted as a manor house in the 18th century. Today it is a convalescent centre run by the Red...
near Ell
Ell
An ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, includingthe Scottish ell ,the Flemish ell ,the French ell...
in western Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, dates from the beginning of the 14th century when it was a stronghold. It was adapted as a manor house in the 18th century. Today it is a convalescent centre run by the Red Cross.
History
The castle was originally a small medieval stronghold surrounded by a moat, similar to the castles at Ell and Everlange. The earliest reference dates from 1303. From 1628, it belonged to the Pforzheims who filled in the moat and converted it into a modest manor house around 1747 (the date on the entrance gate). In the 19th century, it was administered as a farming centre by Baron Edouard de Marches who lived in Guirsch Castle near Arlon. In about 1870, he laid out the gardens surrounding the castle. The lake with an island, the curved pathways, the ornamental bushes and trees can still be seen today. In 1874, his widow née Cécile Papier married the famous Hungarian painter Michael MunkácsyMihály Munkácsy
Mihály Munkácsy was a Hungarian painter, who lived in Paris and earned international reputation with his genre pictures and large scale biblical paintings.-Early Years of Munkácsy:...
. They spent their summers in Colpach Castle and the winters in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1886, Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
visited the couple in Colpach shortly before his death. After 1900, the castle was increasingly deserted by Munkácsy's widow who died in 1915. Émile Mayrisch
Émile Mayrisch
Jacob Émile Albert Mayrisch was a Luxembourgian industrialist and businessman. He served as president of Arbed....
, head of ARBED
Arbed
ARBED was a major Luxembourg-based steel and iron producing company. Created in 1911 after the merger of three steel producing companies, ARBED was a major actor in the economic history of the Grand-Duchy until it merged in 2002 with two other European steel companies to create Arcelor.- Origins ...
, bought the property in 1917. Together with his wife Aline, he made the castle a centre of attraction for noteworthy politicians, economists, writers and artists between the two world wars. Guests included Walther Rathenau
Walther Rathenau
Walther Rathenau was a German Jewish industrialist, politician, writer, and statesman who served as Foreign Minister of Germany during the Weimar Republic...
, André Gide
André Gide
André Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...
, Jacques Rivière
Jacques Rivière
Jacques Rivière was a French "man of letters". He edited La Nouvelle Revue Française from 1919 until his death...
, Otto Bartning
Otto Bartning
Otto Bartning was a Modernist German architect, architectural theorist and teacher. In his early career he developed plans with Walter Gropius for the establishment of the Bauhaus. He was a member of Der Ring...
and Théo van Rysselberghe
Théo van Rysselberghe
Théo van Rysselberghe was a Belgian neo-impressionist painter, who played a pivotal role in the European art scene at the turn of the century.-Early years:...
.
In 1947, Aline Mayrisch
Aline Mayrisch de Saint-Hubert
Aline Mayrisch de Saint-Hubert , née Aline de Saint-Hubert, was a Luxembourgian women's rights campaigner, socialite, philanthropist. Mayrisch established many non-governmental organisations, and was President of the Luxembourg Red Cross...
bequeathed the castle to the Red Cross for use as a convalescent home. The facilities have been constantly improved over the years.