Refuge castle
Encyclopedia
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. In former times such sites were also described as giant castles (German: Hünenburgen) because their origin was ascribed to giant
s.
described by Caesar
as oppida, although they could also be permanent settlements. Similar ringwork
(Ringwall) systems were built by the various Germanic
and Slavic
tribes, the latter until well into the Middle Ages
period. Such systems are also known as hillforts (Wallburgen), the primary construction material being earth, but wood and stone were also used in a variety of construction methods.
As a rule they have no towers, but occasionally superstructures resembling gate tower
s occur (see Bennigsen Castle). Refuge castles of this type belonged to unprotected farming communities and offered protection to the population of the local region in case of a hostile attack, whilst the settlements themselves usually fell victim to plundering and destruction by the aggressors. The large size of refuge castles enabled them to provide stores and supplies in the event of a siege
.
Later on during the Middle Ages this type of castle was also built by local farmers. These "farmers' castles" provided protection for country folk from marauding bands of troops. Their fortifications generally had little in common with the castles erected by the nobility
as residences, but often consisted just of earthworks and wooden palisade
s sited in easily defensible locations on hilltops or spurs.
Because the majority of refuge castles were no permanent settlements, archaeological excavations often produce little by way of finds.
In the Middle Ages fortified church
es (Wehrkirchen) and church castles (Kirchenburgen) also acted as refuge castles. They were primarily utilised as the village churches, but their fortifications also made them suitable for use as temporary places of refuge for the villages. The wall of the churchyard, which was actually designed to protect the cemetery, was upgraded in church castles into a defensible defensive wall
(Wehrmauer) and even the church tower could be given a defensive function.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
-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. In former times such sites were also described as giant castles (German: Hünenburgen) because their origin was ascribed to giant
Giant
Giant or Giants may refer to:*Giants *Giant *Giant people; see gigantism, a medical condition*Giants -Arts and entertainment:*Giant , a 1952 novel by Edna Ferber...
s.
History
In Europe a multitude of large protohistoric sites surrounded by earthworks has been uncovered by archaeological excavations, many over 100 metres in diameter, that are undestood to be refuge castles. Amongst ancient historical references to them are the refuge castles of the GaulsGauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
described by Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar most commonly refers to:* Gaius Julius Caesar , conqueror of Gaul and Roman dictator.Others with the name include:* Gaius Julius Caesar I, son of Sextus Julius Caesar I...
as oppida, although they could also be permanent settlements. Similar ringwork
Ringwork
A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles minus the motte...
(Ringwall) systems were built by the various 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...
and Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
tribes, the latter until well into the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period. Such systems are also known as hillforts (Wallburgen), the primary construction material being earth, but wood and stone were also used in a variety of construction methods.
As a rule they have no towers, but occasionally superstructures resembling gate tower
Gate tower
A gate tower is a tower built over or next to a major gateway.Usually it is part of a medieval fortification. This may be a town or city wall, a fortress or a castle. The gate tower may be built as a twin tower on either side of an entranceway. Even in the design of modern building complexes, gate...
s occur (see Bennigsen Castle). Refuge castles of this type belonged to unprotected farming communities and offered protection to the population of the local region in case of a hostile attack, whilst the settlements themselves usually fell victim to plundering and destruction by the aggressors. The large size of refuge castles enabled them to provide stores and supplies in the event of a siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
.
Later on during the Middle Ages this type of castle was also built by local farmers. These "farmers' castles" provided protection for country folk from marauding bands of troops. Their fortifications generally had little in common with the castles erected by the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
as residences, but often consisted just of earthworks and wooden palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
s sited in easily defensible locations on hilltops or spurs.
Because the majority of refuge castles were no permanent settlements, archaeological excavations often produce little by way of finds.
In the Middle Ages fortified church
Fortified church
Churches have often shown potential to be used for defensive purposes.Europe has a substantial legacy of fortified churches which were used for defensive purposes in time of war...
es (Wehrkirchen) and church castles (Kirchenburgen) also acted as refuge castles. They were primarily utilised as the village churches, but their fortifications also made them suitable for use as temporary places of refuge for the villages. The wall of the churchyard, which was actually designed to protect the cemetery, was upgraded in church castles into a defensible defensive wall
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
(Wehrmauer) and even the church tower could be given a defensive function.
Refuge castles in Germany
- AmelungsburgAmelungsburg (Süntel)The Amelungsburg is a circular rampart that is located on the Amelungsberg hill on the Süntel ridge in the district of Hameln-Pyrmont in the German state of Lower Saxony.There is no clear evidence yet about the date of construction of the rampart system...
(Weser Uplands) - AmöneburgAmöneburgAmöneburg is a town in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany. It lies on a mountain and is built around the castle of the same name, Burg Amöneburg.- Location :...
(HesseHesseHesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
) - BabilonieBabilonieThe Babilonie is a hillfort of the La Tène culture at a height of 255.6 metres above sea level on the northern edge of a rounded hill in the Wiehen Hills above the Lübbecke village of Obermehnen in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The name is...
(Wiehen Hills) - Barenburg near Eldagsen
- Borlinghausen
- BüraburgBüraburgBüraburg is a prominent hill with historic significance, overlooking the Eder river near the town of Fritzlar in northern Hesse .In 723 AD the Anglo-Saxon missionary Winfrid – later called St...
(Hesse) - Bummannsburg in BergkamenBergkamenBergkamen is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the river Lippe, approx. north-east of Dortmund and south-west of Hamm....
- Döben
- DünsbergDünsbergDünsberg is a mountain slightly northwest of Gießen in Hesse, Germany....
(Hessen) - Eresburg
- Eringaburg
- Eiringsburg south of Bad KissingenBad KissingenBad Kissingen is a spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and is the seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is a world-famous health resort.- Town structure :...
- Grotenburg (by Hermann's Monument in the Teutoburg ForestTeutoburg ForestThe Teutoburg Forest is a range of low, forested mountains in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia which used to be believed to be the scene of a decisive battle in AD 9...
) - Heidenlöcher near Deidesheim
- Heidenschanze near Sievern
- Herlingsburg near Schieder-SchwalenbergSchieder-SchwalenbergSchieder-Schwalenberg is a town in the Lippe district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km east of Detmold.It consists of 8 communes, which have been combined to a town in 1970...
- Hohensyburg in Dortmund-Syburg
- Hünenburg (near HedemündenHedemündenthumb|130px|Heraldic sign of HedemündenHedemünden is part of the city Hann. Münden in southern Lower Saxony. Until 1930, it was an independent municipality. About 1500 people live in the village.- Location :thumb|left|Historical center of Hedemünden...
) - Isenburg
- Late Roman hillfort, Katzenberg near Mayen
- Kukesburg
- MettermichMettermichMettermich is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
(Rhön) - Plößnitz
- Reitlingsbefestigungen
- Ringwall Venne im Kottenforst near Bonn
- Sachsenberg
- Skidroburg in Schieder-SchwalenbergSchieder-SchwalenbergSchieder-Schwalenberg is a town in the Lippe district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approx. 20 km east of Detmold.It consists of 8 communes, which have been combined to a town in 1970...
- TönsbergTönsbergThe Tönsberg is a hill ridge in the Teutoburg Forest that reaches a height of and lies in the district of Lippe near Oerlinghausen. Hermann's Way runs over the Tönsberg for about 3.5 km.- Points of interest :...
(Teutoburg Forest) - Tüddern
- Wartberg (Heilbronn)Wartberg (Heilbronn)Wartberg is a mountain of Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
- Wittekindsburg near Porta Westfalica
Refuge castles in Austria
- Refuge castle near Duel/PaternionPaternionPaternion is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is located within the Drava valley about in the north-west of the city of Villach.-Geography:...
(Carinthia):
- Near the refuge castle on a hillock was a Late AntiquityLate AntiquityLate Antiquity is a periodization used by historians to describe the time of transition from Classical Antiquity to the Middle Ages, in both mainland Europe and the Mediterranean world. Precise boundaries for the period are a matter of debate, but noted historian of the period Peter Brown proposed...
period castellumCastellumA castellum is a small Roman detached fort or fortlet used as a watch tower or signal station. The Latin word castellum is a diminutive of castra , which in turn is the plural of castrum ; it is the source of the English word "castle".The term castellum was also used to refer to a settling or...
built around 400 A. D., which had the task of protecting the road crossing in the Gailtal valley, i.e. it was not primarily designed as a refuge castle. During excavations, as well as the defensive system, an early Christian church was discovered in the interior of the castellum.
- Kreuzen Castle/Bad KreuzenBad KreuzenBad Kreuzen is a municipality in the district Perg in Upper Austria, Austria....
(Upper Austria)