The first mention of the former manor house of the Lords of Velen dates back to 1240. It was not until 1426 that the property with the central wing built at that time was given the title of 'castle'.
In the following centuries, the most famous architects of the region gave the moated castle their signature: Master builder Ambrosius von Oelde, Johann Conrad Schlaun , Ignaz Franz von Landsberg-Velen, painter August Reinking, the Düsseldorf garden artist Maximilian Friedrich. All of these master architects designed the harmonious ensemble of the moated castle, from the courtyard front to the south wing and the castle park, until the 19th century.
Although all this art was largely destroyed by a fire in 1931, it was rebuilt with some internal changes. During and after the Second World War, the building served various public purposes. From 1988 to 2018, Schloss Velen was operated as a sports hotel. Today, the building houses a well-equipped seminar and conference centre.
References: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.