Homburg Watchtower
Encyclopedia
The Homburg Watchtower is an observation tower
on the site of a Germanic refuge castle
(Fliehburg) near the Hexentanzplatz
above the town of Thale
in the Harz Mountains of central Germany.
for Germanic
tribes. It was built between 750 and 450 B. C. and was protected by the rampart system and the Sachsenwall in the immediate vicinity. In the southern part of the rampart system is a gap with a ditch in front of it; behind the eastern rampart is a walkway-like inner ditch.
It appears that clandestine Germanic customs and rituals may have been practised here in the period following Christianisation, as indicated, for example, by the discovery of a sacrifice stone with a swastika in 1901.
In 1901 the Harz Club
built an observation tower on the site of the Homburg, that incresingly fell into rack and ruin after the Second World War. The tower was rebuilt in 1993 and may be ascended.
as far as the Brocken. Ton the north the towns of Blankenburg, Halberstadt
and Quedlinburg
may be made out. The town of Thale spreads out immediately below the tower.
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
on the site of a Germanic refuge castle
Refuge castle
A refuge castle is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by ramparts, that is not permanently occupied but acts as a temporary retreat for the local population when threatened by war or attack...
(Fliehburg) near the Hexentanzplatz
Hexentanzplatz (Harz)
The Hexentanzplatz in the Harz mountains is a plateau , which lies high above the Bode Gorge, opposite the Rosstrappe in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.- History :...
above the town of Thale
Thale
Thale is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Bode, approximately 8 km west of Quedlinburg. It is the terminus of the Magdeburg–Thale railway.- History :...
in the Harz Mountains of central Germany.
Location
The Sachsenwall Way (Sachsenwallweg) runs through open oak woods to the Homburg Watchtower about 250 m northeast of the Harz Mountain Theatre on the Hexentanzplatz. It is sited on the terrain of an old castle, the Homburg.History
The Homburg – like the Winzenburg on the Rosstrappe on the other side of the gorge – acted as a refuge castleRefuge castle
A refuge castle is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by ramparts, that is not permanently occupied but acts as a temporary retreat for the local population when threatened by war or attack...
for Germanic
Germanic
Germanic may refer to* The Germanic languages, descended from Proto-Germanic.* The Germanic peoples**List of Germanic peoples**List of confederations of Germanic tribes* German people* Germanic mythology...
tribes. It was built between 750 and 450 B. C. and was protected by the rampart system and the Sachsenwall in the immediate vicinity. In the southern part of the rampart system is a gap with a ditch in front of it; behind the eastern rampart is a walkway-like inner ditch.
It appears that clandestine Germanic customs and rituals may have been practised here in the period following Christianisation, as indicated, for example, by the discovery of a sacrifice stone with a swastika in 1901.
In 1901 the Harz Club
Harz Club
The Harz Club is club dedicated to maintaining the traditions of the Harz mountains in Germany and looking after the walking trails in the Harz. It was founded in 1886 in Seesen and, today, has about 16,000 members in some 90 branches.- History :...
built an observation tower on the site of the Homburg, that incresingly fell into rack and ruin after the Second World War. The tower was rebuilt in 1993 and may be ascended.
Views
The view to the south and east is restricted due to the low height of the tower. Towards the west, however, the vista opens up over the Bode GorgeBode Gorge
The Bode Gorge is a long, ravine that forms part of the Bode valley between Treseburg and Thale in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The German term, Bodetal , is also used in a wider sense to refer to the valleys of the Warme and Kalte Bode rivers that feed the River Bode.At the Bode Gorge,...
as far as the Brocken. Ton the north the towns of Blankenburg, Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
and Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
may be made out. The town of Thale spreads out immediately below the tower.