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The castle was built in 1191 by the brothers Hermann and Bernhard Berkule near the village of Holthusen, first mentioned in 1170, in order to control the associated farms and the country road from Warburg to Kassel. In 1224 the Prince-Bishop of Mainz Siegfried II von Eppstein claimed the castle, which the Lords of Berkule had given to the Prince-Bishop of Cologne, Philipp von Heinsberg, as a fief.
However, the growing oppression of the peasants belonging to the castle construction meant that some farmers tried to flee to the city of Warburg, which had just been founded. Around 1240 the old town of Warburg had to undertake to accept farmers of the knight Hermann Berkule only with his consent. But this peace did not last long, because in 1245 the Holthusens fired arrows at the old town again. The knights Berkule were able to expand their power even further by building the Calenberg Castle.
On November 6, 1294, the sovereign, Paderborn Bishop Otto von Rietberg, finally formed an alliance with various cities to ensure peace. The bishop said he would do everything in his power to protect those who were involved in the destruction of the castle, who had imprisoned or executed men from the castle garrison, from vengeance, damage, arson, or other reenactments. Sanctions were threatened to those who would fire arrows against the cities. [1] The castle was then stormed and destroyed by armed forces from Warburg, Marsberg, Höxter, Fritzlar, Hofgeismar, Wolfhagen and Naumburg. Some of the captured knights were executed. Johann Berkule submitted to the bishop, who made him one of his castle men in Warburg. Around 1300, Calenberg Castle also fell to Bishop Otto of Paderborn, who occupied it with his followers.