Landesburg

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Electoral Cologne's Landesburg at Linn was built to defend against Cleves, Moers and Berg Burg linn.jpg
Electoral Cologne's Landesburg at Linn was built to defend against Cleves, Moers and Berg
The Landesburg of Bruggen secured the Duchy of Julich in the north BurgBrueggenFront.jpg
The Landesburg of Brüggen secured the Duchy of Jülich in the north
The northernmost bastion of the counts of Berg: the Landesburg of Angermund Dusseldorf Angermund Burg 1.jpg
The northernmost bastion of the counts of Berg: the Landesburg of Angermund

A Landesburg or landesherrliche Burg ("sovereign castle", "state castle" or "stately castle") was a castle that a territorial lord, such as a prince-bishop, duke or prince built for the defence or expansion of his sovereign estates. They were thus the central and most important castles of the great princely territories. The Landesburgen were usually the property of the territorial lord, but they sometimes referred to castles that he did not own, but were available to him as a safe house (Offenhaus). [1] The large castles of the 8th to 10th centuries, east of the Rhine and outside the towns were often described as Landesburgen because they performed important functions in the control of the state. [2]

Castle Fortified residential structure of medieval Europe

A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages by predominantly the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace.

A territorial lord was a ruler in the period beginning with the Early Middle Ages, who held sovereignty over a territory, effectively as the monarch. Such a lord had the highest authority or dominion in a state or territory. He was generally a member of the high aristocracy (Hochadel) or clergy who was the title bearer or office holder of an existing or constituent state through the custom of primogeniture or feudal law.

Prince-bishop bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church

A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty. Thus the principality or prince-bishopric ruled politically by a prince-bishop could wholly or largely overlap with his diocesan jurisdiction, since some parts of his diocese, even the city of his residence, could be exempt from his civil rule, obtaining the status of free imperial city. If the episcopal see is an archbishopric, the correct term is prince-archbishop; the equivalent in the regular (monastic) clergy is prince-abbot. A prince-bishop is usually considered an elected monarch.

Contents

History

The emergence of Landesburgen began in the Late Middle Ages and was a result of the decline of royal centralised power and the associated displacement of power "from former great territories to regional territories". [3] In the early stages of this development regional lords used their allodial castles as a means of forming and preserving contiguous territories. In this connexion such fortifications took on the function of a territorial castle (Territorialburg). An example is Zülpich Castle, which was built by the archbishops of Cologne to secure their estates from attack by the counts of Jülich. Often Landesburgen were used as counter-castles (Gegenburgen) to the fortifications of neighbouring and rival territorial lords. [4]

Late Middle Ages Period of European history between 1250 and 1500 CE

The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from 1250 to 1500 AD. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period.

An allod, also allodial land or allodium, refers, in the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, to a freehold estate in land over which the allodial landowner (allodiary) had full ownership and right of alienation.

Zülpich Castle

Zülpich Castle or the Electoral Cologne Sovereign Castle of Zülpich is the landmark and symbol of the town of Zülpich in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its origins may be traced to a Roman castrum. The present site was built in the late 14th century as a symbol of sovereignty and outpost of the archbishops of Cologne against the County of Jülich.

Landesburgen were thus a cornerstone of dynastic politics and central to the exercise of political-military power. To achieve the latter, Landesburgen were usually assigned to a permanent cadre of castellans ( Burgmannen ) and associated troops who thus acted as a garrison. [5] In addition to their importance as an instrument of territorial policy the Landesburgen were given a central role in the administration of the land and the dispensation of justice, typically by being home to a chancery and a treasury. If the sovereign tasked a representative, such as a burgrave or Amtmann , to safeguard regional territorial sovereignty, he would use the castle as a residence and seat of local government. In such cases, it was referred to as an Amtsburg ("administrative castle"), which was the administrative centre of the administrative districts that emerged in the late medieval period. However, if the sovereign prince stayed at the castle - albeit only temporarily - it became known as a Residenzburg or "residence castle". In such a case, it would be enhanced by appropriate representational buildings such as a great hall or a palas to be able to accommodate the emperor and his retinue for a limited time. Illustrative examples of such residence castles are the Electorate of Cologne's Lechenich Castle, Jülich's Brüggen Castle and the castles of Angermund in the eponymous quarter of Düsseldorf and Windeck Castle, which belonged to the Count of Berg.

From the 12th century in central Europe, a Burgmann was a knight ministeriales or member of the nobility who was obligated to guard and defend castles. The role is roughly equivalent to the English castellan and the name derives from the German word for castle, Burg.

Chancery is a general term for a medieval writing office, responsible for the production of official documents. The title of chancellor, for the head of the office, came to be held by important ministers in a number of states, and remains the title of the heads of government in modern Germany and Austria. Chancery hand is a term for various types of handwriting associated with chanceries.

Treasury government department related to finance

A treasury is either

Several Landesburgen had still other functions: they served as a mints, toll castles, supply depots or harbour castles, and were therefore of great financial and economic importance, not just for the surrounding castle estates, settlements and towns, but also for the whole princely territory. After the expansion of territory in the large principalities, many Landesburgen served primarily to securing their borders. The archbishops of Cologne, for example, surrounding their whole territory with strong border fortresses. For example, Linn Castle was built in today's Krefeld to counter the predations of the dukes of Cleves, the counts of Moers and the counts of Berg. Kempen Castle protected the Electorate of Cologne's area to the northwest, while Lechenich and Zülpich were built to defend against the strongest rival of the Electorate of Cologne, the counts of Jülich. Andernach Castle, however, was built for the defence of the state against the Electorate of Trier.

A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins that can be used in currency.

Toll castle

A toll castle is a castle that, in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era, guarded a customs post and was intended to control it. They were typically found in the Holy Roman Empire. Toll castles always stood in the vicinity of an important long-distance trade route over, for example, the Alpine passes or the Middle Rhine. Such castles were usually placed at strategic locations, such as border crossings, river crossings or mountain passes, and were manned by armed guards. The actual toll-collecting point lay below at the road or river and was often linked by walls to the castle itself.

Krefeld Place in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Krefeld, also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the river Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine. Krefeld is accessed by the autobahns A57 (Cologne–Nijmegen) and the A44 (Aachen–Düsseldorf–Dortmund–Kassel).

Landesburgen emerged in the 14th century [4] and were often built on the foundations of earlier fortifications that had been destroyed or fallen into ruin. These castles were typically much larger than their predecessors. They were constantly expanded and modernized in order to be prepared for the latest weapons technology and to meet the needs of the time. [4] Landesburgen were often integrated into the fortifications of a town or city, using and reinforcing the existing defences. This is clearly visible in, for example, the castles of Andernach, Kempen and Rheinbach.

Fortification military constructions and buildings designed for defense in warfare and military bases

A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to solidify rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from the Latin fortis ("strong") and facere.

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Roer (department) former French department (1797-1814)

Roer[ʁo.ɛʁ] was a department of the First French Empire in present-day Germany and the Netherlands. It was named after the river Roer (Rur), which flows through the department. It was formed in 1795, when the Southern Netherlands and the left bank of the Rhine were occupied by the French. The department was formed from the duchies of Jülich and Cleves, the part of the Archbishopric of Cologne left of the Rhine, the Free City of Aachen, the Prussian part of the duchy of Guelders and some smaller territories. In 1805 the city of Wesel was added to the department. The capital was Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen).

Wicket gate

A wicket gate, or simply a wicket, is a pedestrian door or gate, particularly one built into a larger door or into a wall or fence.

Hill castle castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain

A hill castle is a castle built on a natural feature that stands above the surrounding terrain. It is a term derived from the German Höhenburg used in categorising castle sites by their topographical location. Hill castles are thus distinguished from lowland castles (Niederungsburgen).

Lowland castle

The term lowland castle or plains castle describes a type of castle based that is situated on a lowland, plain or valley floor, as opposed to one built on higher ground such as a hill spur. The classification is extensively used in Germany where about 34 percent of all castles are of the lowland type.

Hillside castle

A hillside castle is a castle built on the side of a hill above much of the surrounding terrain but below the summit itself. It is thus a type of hill castle and emerged in Europe in the second half of the 11th century.

Shield wall (castle)

A shield wall, also shield-wall or Schildmauer, refers to the highest and strongest curtain wall, or tower of a castle that defends the only practicable line of approach to a castle built on a mountain, hill or headland. German sources may refer to a shield wall that protects two or more sides as a Hoher Mantel or Mantelmauer, which is variously translated as "mantle-wall", "mantle wall" or "high screen-wall". There is often no clear, definitive distinction between a shield wall and a mantle wall.

Dirnitz

A dirnitz or Knights' Hall was the heatable area of a medieval castle. It was usually a single large room on the ground floor of the palas below the Great Hall. It was often expensively furnished and had a decorative vault. Occasionally it also described the cabinet (Kemenate) or an entire hall building. The term is German.

Zwinger area between main and secondary walls of a fortification

A Zwinger is an open area between two defensive walls that is used for defensive purposes. Zwingers were built in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period to improve the defence of castles and town walls. The term is German and usually left untranslated. However, it is sometimes rendered as "outer courtyard" presumably referring to the subsequent role of a Zwinger as a castle's defences became redundant and it was converted into a palace or schloss, however, this belies its original purpose as a form of killing ground for the defence. The word is linked with zwingen, "to force", perhaps because the Zwinger forced an enemy to negotiate it before assaulting the main defensive line. Essenwein states that the "main purpose of this feature was so that the besieging force could not reach the actual castle wall very easily with battering rams or belfries, but had to stop at the lower, outer wall; also that two ranks of archers, behind and above one another, could fire upon the approaching enemy"

Roundel (fortification) artillery fortification design

The roundel is a strong artillery fortification with a rounded or circular plan of a similar height to the adjacent defensive walls. If the fortification is clearly higher than the walls it is called a battery tower.

Tower castle

A tower castle is a small castle that mainly consists of a fortified tower or a tower-like structure that is built on natural ground. It is thus different from the motte-and-bailey castle, which it may resemble, but whose main defensive structure is built on a motte or artificial hill. The tower castle is occasionally also described as a tower house castle or a tower house.

Butter-churn tower

A butter-churn tower is a two-part defensive tower in which the upper section has a smaller diameter than the lower section. This design provides a ledge or fighting platform about half-way up that acts as a chemin de ronde whilst the narrower tower that rises from this platform acts as a raised observation point. The two sections of the tower are usually cylindrical, but in rarer cases butter-churn towers may have a square plan. Its name derives from its shape which is similar to that of an upright butter churn: a cylindrical container with a shorter, narrower top section.

Flèche (fortification) architectural structure

A flèche is an outwork consisting of two converging faces with a parapet and an open gorge, forming an arrowhead shape facing the enemy.

Counter-castle

Counter-castles were built in the Middle Ages to counter the power of a hostile neighbour or as a siege castle, i.e. a fortified base from which attacks could be launched on a nearby enemy castle.

Brüggen Castle castle

Brüggen Castle is a water castle in the southeastern part of the Lower Rhine municipality of Brüggen in North Rhine-Westphalia. It was the most important castle in the north of the Duchy of Jülich.

Pincer gate german term: Gate, that is deeply moving inwards outer walls

A pincer gate is a gate in a fortification that is deeply embedded between two inward angled exterior walls. Those wishing to enter the fort have to approach what is in effect a sunken road and, if hostile, can be attacked from both side walls in a pincer fashion.

Öffnungsrecht in the Middle Ages was the right of a liege lord, more specifically a territorial lord or protective lord, in the Holy Roman Empire to have gratuitous use of a vassal's castle, fortified house or fortified town as a fighting base in the event of a conflict . It is a form of right of access.

Nideggen Castle castle

The ruins of Nideggen Castle are a symbol of the town of Nideggen in Germany and are owned by the county of Düren. The rectangular hill castle was the seat of the powerful counts and dukes of Jülich and had a reputation in the Middle Ages of being impregnable.

Schloss Dyck château

Castle Dyck is a moated castle in the Rhineland region of Germany. It is located in Aldenhoven, in the municipality of Jüchen in Rhein-Kreis Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, between Grevenbroich and Mönchengladbach.

References

  1. ↑ S. Frankewitz: Geldrische Landesburgen vom 13. bis zum Ende des 15. Jahrhunderts.
  2. ↑ H. W. Böhme et al.: Wörterbuch der Burgen, Schlösser und Festungen, 2004, p. 11.
  3. ↑ H. Ott: Rheinische Wasserburgen, 1984, p. 126.
  4. 1 2 3 Brigitte und Walter Janssen: Burgen, Schlösser und Hofesfesten im Kreis Neuss. Kreisverwaltung Neuss, Neuss, 1980, ISBN   3-9800327-0-1, p. 75.
  5. ↑ Friedrich-Wilhelm Krahe: Burgen des deutschen Mittelalters. Grundrisslexikon. Flechsig, Wurzburg, 2000, ISBN   3-88189-360-1, p. 15.

Literature

Horst Wolfgang Böhme is a German archaeologist with a focus on Late Antiquity / Early Middle Ages and research into castles.

Barbara Schock-Werner architect

Barbara Schock-Werner is a German architect, and was until her retirement end of August 2012 the master builder at Cologne Cathedral with overall responsibility for conservation and restoration work. With the official title of Dombaumeisterin, she was the first and only woman to hold the position in the cathedral's 800 years history.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

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