Vigilantes (Mönchsberg)
The vigilante group is a fortification on the Mönchsberg in Salzburg . It essentially dates from the time of the second city fortifications (around 1465-1480) and separates the Mönchsberg into a so-called inner and outer part.
history
The vigilante group forms the cross connection between the city wall running along the western edge of the Mönchsberg and the wall around the medieval old town with the Klausentor at the foot of the Mönchsberg. The area of the inner Mönchsberg, which was part of the city of Salzburg, was located south of the vigilante group. The part north of it belonged to Mülln , which still corresponds to the parish boundaries today. Hence the name MUNIMENTUM DIUIDENS MONTEM ('bulwark that divides the mountain').
Because of the armed conflict in the 15th century between Emperor Friedrich III. and Archbishop Bernhard von Rohr , the latter supported Matthias Corvinus , the King of Hungary, while the burghers were on the emperor's side, and the city felt compelled to strengthen the fortifications; During the tenure of Mayor Hans Glavenberger (from 1482), a wall with initially two towers and a kennel was built as part of the new city wall on the Mönchsberg; this wall was expanded to an eight-tower complex a few decades later. The back of the six newer towers was made of wood, as can still be seen today on the inside of some towers. A wooden battlement ran along the wall, which was largely destroyed in a fire in 1822. The westernmost so-called Marienturm was converted into a powder tower in 1649 by the Hochfürstliche Landschaft (a kind of state parliament of the prince archbishopric). The late Gothic vigilante also had a wide defensive moat and a palisade building in front of it. The city bill of 1486 mentions a fence master and four fence keepers who were responsible for guarding the facility at night.
In accordance with the civic obligations formulated in a letter of atonement dated April 20, 1287 (“proof of military ability”, “maintenance of the defense systems” and “performing security services”), the citizens of the city of Salzburg also performed security services in the vigilante group. In 1488 a corresponding guard was mentioned. This Salzburg Civil Guard was dissolved in 1821/22 (the Civil Music Corps, however, continued to exist, as was the “Salzburg National Guard”, the latter until 1851). As a traditional association ("Bürgergarde der Stadt Salzburg"), the Bürgergarde was re-established in 1979.
Since the fortification of the entire northern part of the Mönchsberg up to the Müllner Schanze by Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron, the vigilante group had hardly any military significance. Soldiers lived here at the time of the Thirty Years' War and after that, until after 1800 soldiers and their families lived in the towers. In the basement of the vigilante's gate tower, troop convicts, i.e. prisoners who were sentenced to work with poor nutrition, were housed since 1575. From 1734 poachers who were not citizens of the city were also imprisoned here.
In 1733 or 1744, two more powder towers were built outside of the vigilante groups, but they proved unsuitable because of the moisture there. A staircase leading from the Riedenburg to the Mönchsberg across the Lodron Wall on the western slope of the Mönchsberg was built by the city of Salzburg in 1892.
See also: Fortifications of the City of Salzburg
Vigilante today
Since 1863 there has been a restaurant in the north-eastern part of the vigilante group (formerly Zur Bürgerwehr , now called Stadtalm ), which has been run by the Friends of Nature since 1950, combined with a small youth hostel. At the moment this is the only inn on the Mönchsberg.
After the Second World War, refugees and bombed-out Salzburg residents were housed in the towers due to the prevailing housing shortage. Today two towers are inhabited. One tower is currently still filled with excavated material.
Most of the moat was filled in before 1900. After the Second World War, the weir ditch continued to deteriorate and is currently overgrown with various trees, which severely impair the view of the old weir system. As part of a maintenance concept, the uncovering of the wide weir ditch in front of the front defensive wall with the disruptive wood and the removal of the excavated material in the front east tower ("Söller") with its exit gate are urgent.
The Marienturm as the western end of the vigilante group
The decaying front defense tower of the vigilante group, behind it the Marienturm
the eastern end of the vigilante group (today Gasthof "Stadtalm")
Vigilante: The defensive tower in the east of the vigilante, which is currently still largely filled in (foreground, currently without a roof)
literature
- Reinhard Medicus: The vigilantes on the Mönchsberg . In: The Guard. Volume 31, pp. 37-41.
- Reinhard Medicus: The old vigilante groups on Mönchsberg and their history . In: Bastei - magazine for the preservation of buildings culture and society. 53rd year, 2nd episode, Salzburg 2004
Web links
proof
- Adolf Frank: The Mönchsberg and its buildings. In: Communications from the Society for Regional Studies in Salzburg. 70, 1930, (p. OA, article p. 1-44).
- Hannes Mühlbacher, Wilfried Maschke: The Mönchsberg - experiences, anecdotes and history . Self-published, Salzburg 2007
- Vigilante . In: Salzburger Nachrichten : Salzburgwiki .
Coordinates: 47 ° 48 '0.7 " N , 13 ° 2' 21.5" E