History
In the Early Middle Ages, several noble landowners succeeded in acquiring more and more political, economic and legal power. They called themselves ‘lord’ and their territory was therefore called ‘lordship’. The lord lived in a castle, from where he governed and protected his territory.
Lordship rights
Such a lordship consisted mainly of a number of rights, such as the right to maintain order, apply justice and collect taxes. Hunting rights, fishing rights and mill rights also belonged to this. Often the lords were only accountable to the king or the emperor, so not to a duke or count.
Leur
The Land of Maas en Waal had several of these types of lordships. Leur was one of the few to have been able to retain its character as an estate. In the Middle Ages, Leur belonged to the archbishopric of Cologne. In 1311 Leur came into the possession of Cistercian monks, who reclaimed the wild land and made it suitable for agriculture. At the end of the 18th century an estate was laid out with a park in romantic landscape style. Striking are the large, stately avenues with beautiful oaks and beeches.