Burg Dreckberg, likely built between 1347 and 1357 by Paderborn Cathedral Provost Otto von Bentheim, served as a fief for the Lords of Drewer. The bishops of Paderborn constructed it for territorial security against the Electorate of Cologne and the Hellweg route. First mentioned in 1386, the castle withstood the Soest Feud in 1444. Changing hands multiple times, it underwent renovations in the 18th century, acquiring its current baroque appearance. Acquired by the city of Salzkotten in 2000 and later sold to Erhard Christiani in 2002, he utilized it until his death in March 2017.
The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.
Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.