page_title: Steinfurt
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Steinfurt / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The castle (Schloss) on the left and the mill belonging to the castle ("Schlossmühle") on the right#
context_page_description: Steinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.
context_section_description: Burgsteinfurt is among the most remarkable places in Münsterland. Predominantly influenced by Protestants, it is home to one of the oldest academies of continuing education in Westphalia. It harbours buildings of all ages and one of the most beautifully moated castles in the entire region. These landmarks distinguish "Stemmert" – as it is often called by its inhabitants – from the neighbouring countryside. Additionally a delightful landscape can be found in Burgsteinfurt, especially the Bagno, a forested amusement park which dates back to the 18th century with one of the oldest free-standing European concert halls.
  The origins of Burgsteinfurt are unknown. It is assumed different circumstances led to its foundation, in particular farming, the river Aa and the Order of Saint John.
  The Koch Family is an important and substantial part of the community.
  The farming communities Hollich, Sellen and Veltrup are significantly older than Burgsteinfurt. The centre of Burgsteinfurt developed around the main farm of "Veltrup," which already existed in 890 as "villa veliun." Probably "villa veliun" was the main homestead of a small settlement, which was located on the territory of today's inner castle ward. Back then there was a market square at the current castle's entrance, which later developed into the "Old Town" of today.
  Another settlement not dated back precisely yet was found in the course of archeological excavations in the area of the contemporary "Steintorfeldmark." All three farming communities had their own sanctuaries in pre-Christian time. After the era of Christianization they built a church in honour of Irish missionaries, which was the predecessor of today's Great Protestant Church. The farming communities celebrate their own feasts and customs with their own special atmosphere up to now although they were incorporated into the city in 1939.
  Steinfurt's name originates from an old stone passage (or "ford") across the river "Aa." This passage was probably located at today's crossways of "Wasserstraße" and "Europaring." Being a part of a military formation connecting east and west, it offered one of only few possibilities to cross the river with coaches. The authority controlling the "ford" was powerful, authorised to charge tolls, and fords were also places of commerce. Consequently, a group of knights – the ancestors of today's Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt – seized power over the passage and all surrounding roads. In a document from 1129 there is the first reference to two noblemen "de Steinvorde" (of Steinfurt). They probably had a moated castle built in the place of the main farm of Veltrup near the "ford" in order to control it.
  The first rival was the Ascheberg clan living in a castle near today's road to Emsdetten, the old road of army and commerce to Münster and other eastern Germanic areas. There was a permanent war between the House of Ascheberg and the House of Steinfurt. In 1164 the Ascheberg clan is said to have destroyed the castle of the Steinfurt clan while the latter were on a trip to Cologne. After their return to Steinfurt they satisfied their desire for revenge and destroyed the castle of Ascheberg.
  Obviously the noblemen of Steinfurt put forward a liberal settlement policy offering tradesmen, craftsmen and other citizens favourably situated houses near the "ford." In return they had to provide currency, wax or poultry and the old farming community "Villa Veliun" turned into a market square. In a document from 1338 the settlement is named "unse Stat to Stenvorde" (our city of Stenvorde). From 1816 up to the administrational reform in 1975 the city was called "Burgsteinfurt" and now there is just the city of "Steinfurt" uniting the two parts – Burgsteinfurt and Borghorst.
  The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem was a religious and military order of striking importance for Steinfurt, which came to Burgsteinfurt together with the Rudolph II after participating in several crusades to the Holy Land. Rudolph settled his fellow soldiers in and around Steinfurt. He made a foundation for the salvation of the Ea
caption: Castle and watermill
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