Philips van Wassenaar (died in 1225) is considered to have been the founder of Nederhorst Castle. In the 17th century the baron Godard van Reede had the Reevaart dug so that his visitors could disembark in front of the castle when arriving by boat. The castle was thoroughly rennovated in the 18th century, and reminders of this period can still be seen on the south side.
After 1945 the castle fell into a serious state of disrepair and there was even question of it being pulled down. However the building found a saviour at the end of 1959 in the form of a moped manufacturer from Bussum who had heard from his general practitioner that there was a castle for sale in Nederhorst den Berg. This artisan, Jan Lourens Jonker, married to Harmine J.E. Wolters, was looking for space for his hobbies: collecting old bicycles and clocks.
After a disastrous fire in 1971, and with the help of additional funding by state, provincial and local governments, renovation could begin. Restoration was completed in 1973. Today the castle hosts a private company Studio Michel Mulders.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.