Twickel is a protected historic country estate with 81 complex parts near Delden in the hamlet of Deldeneresch [nl], in the municipality of Hof van Twente in the province of Overijssel in The Netherlands. The moated castle forms the center.

History

The oldest mention of Twickel is in 1347, when Herman van Twickelo buys the Eysinck house near Delden. This house will later become Twickel Castle. Twickel is successively inhabited by members of the Van Twickelo family (fourteenth to sixteenth century), Van Raesfelt (sixteenth and seventeenth century), Van Wassenaer Obdam (seventeenth to eighteenth century) and Van Heeckeren van Wassenaer (nineteenth and twentieth century). The last owner has transferred Twickel to a foundation, which now still manages the assets. Until her death, the Baroness herself was chairman of the board.

The last baroness determined that after her death the castle should remain inhabited. The right of residence came to her great-nephew Christian Graf zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, who lived in the castle from 1982 until his death on January 21, 2010. Then the right of residence passed to his son Roderik Graf zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, who has lived in it from that time on.

The owners of Twickel have held various public positions, such as the position of drost of Twente. The preserved archive of Twickel therefore not only contains documents related to the castle and the residents, but also documents related to Twente’s history. Because of those functions, Twickel was also regularly the stage for political negotiations and official receptions.