Former Popkensburg castle at St. Laurens

Popkensburg Castle [~1320-1863]

The Popkensburg castle was built in the thirteenth century. In 1468 the castle and the domain were split. The domain remained in the hands of the (Van Borssele) van Brigdammes until 1679, when it was acquired by Johan Boudaen Courten, who also had acquired the castle. His granddaughter Anna Sara Boudaen (1718-1781) married Jacob van Citters, son of Caspar van Citters, in 1736. After her death in 1781, the castle was inherited by her son Jacob Verheije van Citters, who lived there from 1800 until his death in 1823. It is known that he refused the wife of his brother Caspar entry to the castle as she had been the servant of their father.

Jacob built up a large documentation of the family, which is stored in the Central Museum in Utrecht.  His son, Laurens de Witte van Citters never lived in Popkensburg, as the conditions were rather primitive. The castle deteriorated and was torn down in 1863.