The museum consists of 2 rooms, with photos of the castle and of the VON DER MARK  / DE LA MARCK / VAN DER MARK family.

As an 11 year-old I learnt at school that in 1572 the Seabeggars under admiral Willem II VAN DER MARK, better known as LUMEY,  occupied Brielle* in the name of Willem VAN ORANJE.   I found that remarkable because my grand-father  VAN DER MARK was born at Brielle.

Some time later my search for a possible connection with this LUMEY began.   Unfortunately, a relationship cannot be found in the arquives, but my search has led to some interesting excursions and ultimately to the restauration of the castle of Seraing-le-Château, which was given as a fief to Lumey’s  great-grandfather Willem I in 1470. He was called “Le sanglier des Ardennes” (the wild boar from the Ardennes).  The castle remained in the family until 1812. It was acquired by me in 2015.

Ed van der Mark

*This occupation of Brielle is seen as  the beginning of the fight for independance of the Netherlands.