Castle Turelbaach

Two hiking trails pass by the castle: The Autopédestre Mertzig and Mertzig: Schloss Turelbaach

Pol Gilson, born on January 22, 1931, came from a family of stonemasons, which also explains his talent for craftsmanship and artistry. He worked as a municipal secretary in Mertzig, Heiderscheid, and Colmar-Berg. In addition to his love for fanfare music, he fulfilled a childhood dream of building a house on an island. In 1964, he purchased a marshy meadow of 5 hectares in an open spot in the forest by the "Turelbaach" between Dellen and Mertzig, in the municipality of Grosbous. After a self-designed plan, he began to make his dream a reality (approval December 31, 1964). The building would fall victim to a fire in 1973. With the help of family and friends, the new construction (approval 17-04-1973) began using Martelinger slate, Mertziger sandstone from the surrounding quarries, and former gravestones that would otherwise have ended up as rubble. Each stone was shaped to his own liking. Masonry, roof beams, carpentry, tiling, stained-glass windows, etc., everything was carried out by him over 40 years.

In 1968, he rebuilt the more than 100-year-old dam (permit 03-12-1968) and created a beautiful lake with a depth of 1 to 6 meters. The "Turelbaacher Schlass", a house on an island, was born, of course with a drawbridge and a landing stage. For more than 40 years and many hours of work, big and small, Pol Gilson made his dream a reality. Large music festivals and family celebrations were held there. Domestic and foreign films were shot. Thousands of photos were taken, most recently with drones, not to mention the many wedding photos. He never stopped working on his dream island until his death in July 2007.

Translated from German

Author Anny Gilson-Schaack

Source: www.mertzig.lu

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