The farms, with one exception, are of the Saxon type with a style identified by thatch rooves, evenly placed windows underneath and the so called underbarn at the rear. On the estate it will be noticed that the window shutters on most of the buildings are conspicuous by their colours; yellow and black in an hourglass pattern with a green surround. These are the colours of the van Pallandt coat of arms and are symbolic of the association, dating back centuries, between the castle and the people living on the estate.

Most of the property of Eerde has been gradually handed over by the owner to other authorities. Today, and rightly so, most of the farms on the estate are recognized as historic buildings.

Little is known of the early history or of the original occupants of te castle due to many of the records being destroyed by fire. Perhaps the familiy 'Van Eerde' was not carried on through the male side because it is definitely the woman who come to the fore in its history. The house of Eerde at one time came together with the house of Twickel near Delden, through the marriage in about 1380 of Jutte van Eerde with Herman van Twickel, who became Lord of Twickelo that same year and 12 years later took on the title of Sheriff of Twenthe. In the medieval history of the bishopric of Utrecht (Joh. Beka) is to be found the story of Evert van Essen who was married to Margaretha van Eerde. He had built on the estate a fortification of stone and wood and soon he became one of the most notorious robber knights in the province of Overijssel. We may assume that Jutte van Eerde and Margaretha were sisters, so making Evert the wicked brother-in-law of the Lord of Twickel.

The latter's task involved jurisdiction in the area in his position of Sheriff. However in those times a robber knight was a respectable profession if one had consent. This appeared not to be so in the case of Evert van Essen. After many warnings, Bishop Florens van Wevelinckhoven (1379-1393) decided to punish Van Essen. With help from knights Van Egmond, Van IJsselstein and Van Arkel, he besieged Eerde and razed the fortification to the ground. Eventually the fort was rebuilt on a much larger scale with three towers, moats and a drawbridge.

Not long afterwards the levying of taxes for ships on the rivers Regge and Vecht began again. In 1521 the castle was aqain besieged and destroyed, this time by the the people of nearby Zwolle. lt is not known how many times the castle was destroyed and rebuilt, but in 1625 it stood again as seen on the print.

On April 11th 1706 Baron Werner van Pallandt, lieutenant-general of the Netherlands, purchased the ruins of Eerde from the Dowager Schaap van Winsum. After restless times - there were many skirmishes in this region - there came a period of tranquility for the castle.

In the nineteenth century the castle became, as did most castles in the provinces, a summer residence. So down through the centuries Eerde, like many other castles, became a fortified farmer's dwelling, an uncomfortable fortress, a toll house, a robbers nest, a comfortable manor house and for a short period a luxurious summer residence.

In 1926 Baron van Pallandt gave the castle and estate to Krishnamurti, Star of the East, to be the European home of the movement of the Star. Thousands flocked from all over the world to hear Krishnamurti. The latter disbanded the movement a few years later and returned 'Eerde' to the Baron.

In 1933 under the influence of the Jewish purge in Hitler's Germany Eerde was given its current destination. lt was in September 1933, the advent year of Hitler's Germany that Baron van Pallandt made Castle Eerde available for Jewish refugee children fleeing from the Nazi-persecution. The initiative for this action was taken by the Dutch Quaker Movement, and for this reason Eerde became known as the Quaker School. The war years were sad years for the school. lt was clear that the Nazi invaders would close the school. The last two years of the war saw Castle Eerde as shelter for those who crushed human rights and peace under their feared jackboot.

After the liberation in 1945 the school was restarted. Thanks to the good name which the school had created during its ten years of existence and thanks to the support of the school board of directors the International School came into being.

Now there are pupils from all over the world at the school.

http://www.nevenzel.nl/Nevenzel/03%20Den%20Ham/OKV/eerde.htm

Free

Walking trails around the castle

- Premises of the international school

- Closed for visitors