County of Wittem

In 1722, the whole of Wittem was sold to Ferdinand Adolf van Plettenberg. Plettenberg served as a diplomat and advisor to the Elector of Cologne. He received large sums of money for all his work. This diplomat liked to buy entire villages and lands and that is how he ended up in South Limburg. When Van Plettenberg bought Wittem, he already owned a large castle in Germany. In 1732 Wittem was elevated to an imperial county. After this important event he bought many more estates in South Limburg and thus a large part of the region around Wittem came into his possession.

But just look at those snowdrops. Actually, they were the subject of my blip of today.