Eselsberg (Thierhaupten)

The early medieval section fortification on the Eselsberg south of Thierhaupten in the Augsburg ( Swabia ) district shows some typical features of a smaller Hungarian fortress from the 10th century. The archaeological monument , which has so far received little attention from research, is part of a larger group of early and high medieval castles on the Lechrain between Thierhaupten and Mering .

history

The fortification of the Eselsberg in its preserved form certainly goes back to the castle order of King Henry I (926). After the devastating invasions of Hungary in the early 10th century, the king ordered the fortification of larger settlement areas and the construction of smaller (munitiones) and larger (firmitates) fortresses in the threatened areas. The fortifications may have served as a refuge for the nearby monastery.

The Eselsberg lies on the northern edge of the scene of the battle on the Lechfeld . The rather volatile structure of the defense works could point to an older settlement or castle area that was temporarily developed as a troop base and refuge. About five kilometers to the south is a larger alleged Hungarian defense castle ( Pfarrerschanze ) above the Lech Valley.

description

Site plan on the information board in front of the facility

About 1500 meters south of the Thierhaupten monastery , a west-facing hill spur (approx. 480 m above sea level) jumps out of the Lechleite . The plateau (approx. 100 × 80 meters) lying about 40 meters above the valley of this protrusion was secured in the east by 19 mostly circular mounds of earth (height up to two meters) with upstream traverses (excavation pits). The section fortification runs in an arc to the west on the moderately steep northern slope. The eastern section of the fortification was cut down and made accessible in 2001 as part of a local school project. An information board has been reporting here since 2002 about the history of Burgplatz. The remaining sections are largely inaccessible due to the dense forest and thorn bushes.

The peculiar construction of this fortification line speaks for the Hungarian period dating of the ground monument. The mounds of earth were probably reinforced with pointed wooden pegs. The rider approach obstacles were probably still a stoop, i.e. a hedge of thorns. The Hungarian archers were supposed to be forced to dismount and unfamiliar footfights.

Such approach obstacles are actually a characteristic of the larger Hungary walls in the area of ​​the diocese of Augsburg ( Haldenburg , Buschelberg near Fischach ). Here, up to 30 meters long earth ribs are presented to the ramparts as "riding lanes". Except on the Eselsberg, a comparable early or simplified variant of this fastening concept can only be found in the section fortification of Straßberg near Bobingen .

In the north-west, a narrow, tongue-shaped slope (length about 70 meters) was separated by a shallow ditch, so that a kind of core structure results. Behind the ditch an arched section wall about one meter high can be seen. Next to the path opening is a circular pit on the almost flat plateau. The demolition of the terrain to the south seems to have been artificially separated.

The Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation lists the ground monument as an early medieval section fortification under monument number D 7-7431-0095.

literature

• Otto Schneider: The former castles of Bobingen and the Wertachleite between Wellenburg and Siebnach . In: Walter Pötzl, Wolfgang Wüst (ed.): Bobingen and his story . Bobingen 1994, ISBN 3-930749-00-9 , pp. 50-64.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation: Entry ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )

Coordinates: 48 ° 32'53 "  N , 10 ° 54'51.3"  E