Since its restoration in the 1990s, the neo-Gothic moated castle has been an important museum for modern and contemporary art. Among other things, the Museum Schloss Moyland Foundation has the world's largest collection of works by Joseph Beuys and is a research center of international standing. The castle on the Lower Rhine is also surrounded by historic gardens.
It all began in 1951, when brothers Hans and Franz Joseph van der Grinten purchased two woodcuts for twenty marks each. But these were only the beginning of their collecting activities. Today, the Museum Schloss Moyland Foundation also owns almost 6,000 works by one of the most important German artists of the 20th century: Joseph Beuys. In changing exhibitions, the museum on the Lower Rhine presents early works on paper, sculptures and objects by the political provocateur and places them in the context of works by other artists from his circle.
The collection is supplemented by the Joseph Beuys Archive with archival documents and photographs. As an affiliated institute of the Düsseldorf Art Academy, the Joseph Beuys Archive has established itself as an international research institution. Like the museum library, it is available to specialists and museum visitors for research purposes. In addition, training courses, academic conferences and seminars are held in the rooms of the palace complex, which was built at the beginning of the 14th century.
Baroque garden with 20th century art
Little remains of the castle's medieval origins. Instead, the complex today presents itself as a castle in the neo-Gothic style, as designed by the Cologne cathedral master builder Ernst Friedrich Zwirner on behalf of the von Steengracht family in the 19th century. Baroque elements such as the system of avenues and moats still form the basic structure of the magnificent gardens around Moyland Castle. Visitors can enjoy more than 470 different hydrangea varieties and discover native and exotic plants from Asia, Africa and Australia in one of the largest herb gardens in the region.
In the historic gardens from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, you will come across world-class art. Artists such as Eduardo Chillida, James Lee Byars and Gerhard Marcks are represented with works in the sculpture park. The gardens also host events such as the annual herb garden festival and the artisan Christmas market.
By the way: Visiting just this one castle would be far too much of a shame. NRW is the state with the most castles and palaces in Germany. To make it easier for you to choose, we have found a perfect counterpart for Moyland Castle: Anholt Castle. Find out more about the duo here.
