Borculo began as a settlement near where, at the time, the Berkel joined a smaller stream called the Grolse Slinge. In the 12th century a castle called Hof van Borculo was built. A defensive wall surrounding the village was constructed in 1348. The village received
city rights in 1375. The city wall has been demolished, but parts of the defensive moat, which was also used as a trading route over the Berkel to the cities along the Berkel (such as
Zutphen), can still be found in Borculo. Borculo was then ruled by the counts of
Limburg and Bronkhorst. In the long conflict (known as the "Borculo question") between the heirs of the last count of
Bronkhorst (deceased in 1553 without children) and the
Prince-Bishop of Munster over ownership of Borculo, the Court of Gelderland ruled on 20 December 1615 in favour of count Joost of Limburg and Bronkhorst. The ruling was imposed by troops from
Zutphen, taking over the castle and city of
Lichtenvoorde in December 1615, and the castle and city of Borculo in February 1616 after short combat. Prince-Bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen tried twice to keep Borculo under Munster's authority, but without success. Thereafter, Borculo definitively belonged to the province of Guelders instead of Munster. In 1777 the region came into the possession of
Stadtholder William V, after which the castle was demolished and rebuilt. Most of the castle was demolished in 1869–1870, but parts of the
keep still exist. These parts are hidden below the library and cultural centre, although they were visible to the public for several years. Due to wear, these parts were buried again. The
King of the Netherlands is still Lord of Borculo. The chapel in Borculo, well-endowed with vicariates, was elevated to a parish church in 1509 and separated from its parent parish in
Geesteren. At the same time, Borculo Castle was detached from its parent parish in
Eibergen and added to the new parish of Borculo. The municipality of Borculo was established in 1795 from the former city, castle, and the "schependom" (district) of Dijcke or Dijkhoek. The municipality of Geesteren was formed from the former bailiwick of Geesteren, an administrative district within the Lordship of Borculo. On January 1, 1818, the two municipalities were merged. Borculo became an independent municipality, including Geesteren,
Gelselaar, Haarlo, and
Leo-Stichting. In 2005, it merged with the neighboring municipalities of
Eibergen,
Neede, and
Ruurlo to form the new municipality of
Berkelland. On August 10, 1925, Borculo was struck by a
tornado with a diameter of one to two kilometers, causing significant destruction. This disaster, often referred to as the "Borculo Storm Disaster," is commemorated in a museum dedicated to this chapter of the city's history. Tornadoes that are this disastrous are very rare in the
Netherlands. ==Harbor==