Schloss Dyck is a moated castle in the Rhineland region of Germany. The history of the castle began in 1094 when the knight Hermannus de Disco was mentioned in a record of the Archbishop of Cologne as the lord of a simple fortification. Over time the site was converted into a fortified moated castle.
In 1383 the castle was besieged by the cities of Aachen and Cologne, as well as by the archbishop Friedrich III von Saarwerden and Duke William I of Guelders and Jülich. They accused Lord Gerard van Dyck of being a robber knight. When Gerard van Dyck died without male offspring, the castle was inherited by Johann V von Reifferscheidt, the ancestor of the counts and princes of Salm-Reifferscheid. This family owned the castle for more than 900 years until it became the Centre for Garden Art and Landscape Design in 1999. The last heiress of the family, Countess Marie Christine Wolff Metternich, turned it over to a foundation to secure the future of the castle.
The castle is the center of Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck, a former independent territory located between the Electorate of Cologne, Guelders and Jülich. The small territory was called 'Dycker Ländchen' and is still recognizable for its unique cultural landscape.
The main building, the forecourts, and the outbuilding and the stables are spread over four islands. In the 17th century the castle was turned into an early baroque residence. Count Salentin of Salm-Reifferscheid extended the main building into a four-wing complex; stables, watch rooms, and the brewery were renewed. In the 18th century, Schloss Dyck became a Rococo residence, with fine tapestries and exquisite furniture. Unfortunately not everything has been saved: the famous library was sold at an auction in 1992, as was the armory and weapons collection.
The complex is surrounded by an English landscape garden created by prince Joseph zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck. The castle and the park are open for visitors. The complex also includes a hotel that hosts many venues and meetings.
References:The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.
Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.