Bennigser Castle
| Bennigser Castle | ||
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 The gate area with the tower reconstructed from the excavation |
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| Alternative name (s): | Mine castle | |
| Creation time : | around 900 to 1000 | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Remnants of walls, walls, ditches | |
| Place: | Jump -Bennigsen | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 13 '48.5 " N , 9 ° 38' 3.2" E | |
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The Bennigser Burg , also known under the name Meinser Burg , was an early medieval ring wall , the remains of which are on the east side of the Deister near the Springer district of Bennigsen in Lower Saxony . The hill fort on a ridge probably served as a refuge for the population. An excavation from 1937 placed the complex in the 10th century.
location
The former fortification is located at the southeast end of the Deister, two kilometers southwest of Bennigsen and about 300 m east of the B 217 . It was strategically placed on a ridge in the manner of a hilltop castle . Its ramparts fell from the top down with the main castle. Two deep, ravine-like streams provided natural protection on two sides. The ramparts were close to old traffic routes. That was the royal route , which as a high route led from the Deisterkamm towards them. In the level below the facility ran the Heerstraße Hameln - Hanover , which connected the Leine with the Weser valley . The castle with its gate openings is oriented in this direction. Today the entire area is covered with dense coniferous forest, which does not allow a general overview. In the vicinity of the castle on the eastern slope of the Deister there are numerous early historical barrows .
description
Today there are still earth walls 3 to 5 meters high from the fortification. It can be assumed that the ramparts used to be faced with a several meter high wall made of stones or logs. Although there has not yet been a more precise archaeological investigation, this can be assumed due to the construction of similarly designed facilities ( Isenburg , Wirkesburg , Heisterburg ) from the same time in the vicinity.
The core of the ramparts is at the highest point of the ridge of the terrain. It consists of a walled rectangle measuring 140 × 160 meters. On the slope below is a bailey measuring 100 × 185 meters. With around four hectares of walled area, the Bennigser Burg is one of the larger of its kind in the area. About 100 meters down the slope from the outer bailey is a 230 meter long rampart with a ditch. Since there are no side walls, the flanks could have been secured earlier with palisades or hedges.
Investigations
A limited excavation took place on the site of the Wallburg in 1937. It was limited to the remains of a gate between the main and outer bailey . The good state of preservation of the found remains of the wall allowed a graphic reconstruction of this part of the complex. Further investigations into the interior of the ramparts, which could indicate an earlier settlement, have not been carried out to this day.
2017 led students of Geoinformatics of the University of Hanover , a survey of the fortification by total station by. It was used to create a digital terrain model and a contour plan, which is made available to the Lower Saxony State Office for Monument Preservation . Such measurements of archaeologically significant facilities have been taking place for decades in cooperation between the University of Hanover and the State Office. Up until then, there was a contour plan for Bennigser Burg from 1956.
Examined Gate
During the excavation, only the area around an earlier gate was examined. The gate area with its side walls was left behind, so that today's visitor gets an idea of the earlier entrance. The gate was in the wall that separated the main castle from the outer bailey. The gate opening consisted of a 3 m wide and 15 m long gate lane. The alley led out of the main castle and was formed by stone walls. The walls were made of limestone slabs that were connected with mud and clay. Remnants of wooden posts in the center of the gate area suggested a building with a wooden gate tower . On the stone pavement of Torgasse lay fragments of ceramic vessels from the 10th century, on which the chronological classification is essentially based. In addition, the further protection of the main castle towards the outer bailey was examined in this area. It consisted of a double pointed ditch , over which there was an earth bridge in the area of the entrance to the gate.
history
On maps from the 16th to 18th centuries, the Bennigser Burg was called "Meinser Burg". The current name is probably due to its proximity to Bennigsen. During the 9th and 10th centuries, when the complex was presumably built, there was a larger manor in this village (first mentioned in 969), whose representatives could be considered as builders. Because of its size and structure, the only function of the ramparts is a refuge for the population in times of danger.
Similar fortifications in the vicinity
- In the plane:
- Isenburg near Barsinghausen -Landringhausen
- Düsselburg near Rehburg
- Lüningsburg near Neustadt am Rübenberge
- In height:
- Heisterburg near Lauenau - Feggendorf
- Wirkesburg near Lauenau-Feggendorf
- Barenburg near Eldagsen
- Heisterschlösschen near Beckedorf
- Kukesburg near Springe -Altenhagen
- Sachsenwall near Nordstemmen
Fortifications of this kind were originally regarded as Saxon or Heinrichsburgen by archaeological research . The more recent research assigns the structures in the area of the Central Weser and the Leine to a period from 8th to 12th centuries. Century too. Due to the lack of settlement, the facilities are likely to have only been used sporadically and have served as refuges. In the case of the facilities in the Deister area (Wirkesburg, Bennigser Burg, Heisterschlösschen) it is typical that they were built on sloping mountain ridges and near a stream.
literature
- Martin Claus : Die Bennigser Burg In: Guide to prehistoric and early historical monuments . Volume 49: Hanover - Nienburg - Hildesheim - Alfeld . Part II: Excursions . Zabern, Mainz 1981, pp. 179-185, ISBN 3-8053-0548-6 .
- Hans-Wilhelm Heine : The prehistoric and early historical castle walls in the district of Hanover , 2000, Hanover, ISBN 3-7752-5645-8 , s. 111-113.
Web links
- Entry by Hans-Wilhelm Heine and Stefan Eismann on Bennigser Burg in the scientific database " EBIDAT " of the European Castle Institute
- Bennigser Burg in the Lower Saxony Monument Atlas
- Brief description and map 1 ( memento from November 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) and excavation photo ( memento from November 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- Reconstruction drawing in the early medieval state
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jennifer Krebs: Students measure castle remains in: Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung from July 19, 2017