Hingene Castle was the summer residence of the House of Ursel. The Dukes of Ursel and their family resided for 350 years on the estate. A famous resident was Conrard-Albert, first Duke of Ursel (1665-1738). His son the second duke asked Giovani Nicolano Servandoni (1695-1766) to redesign the family estate. The front was made symmetric like a palace.
The duke received important noblemen here, such as Johan von Sinzendorf und Pottendorf (1739-1813) and Joseph de Ferraris. During the 18th century the castle was known for banquets and balls. Marriages in the family were celebrated by the whole village, the dukes usually being well regarded locally. Around 1960 the castle was sold by the Duke of Ursel, the furniture and contents of the library were removed from the castle. The House of Ursel left the town, and chose to reside henceforth in Brussels.
In 1994 the province of Antwerp obtained ownership and restored the estate to its 17th century state. The Duke of Ursel gave an important part of the original interior back to the castle.
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.