Magdeburg Fortress

Fort belt around Magdeburg

The fortress Magdeburg was one of the early 18th century until 1912 the strongest fortresses of Prussia .

history

Development up to the Thirty Years War

The first fortifications in Magdeburg can be traced back to the 13th century. The city walls ran around the area of ​​today's northern old town between Krökentor and Otto-von-Guericke-Straße and immediately south of the cathedral . Remains are preserved in the area of Wallonerkirche - Tränsberg. Due to the development of firearms, the previous fortifications could no longer withstand enemy attacks. In Magdeburg, therefore, extensive renovation and expansion work on the city fortifications took place between 1450 and 1550. This included the construction of new sections of the wall as well as the construction of a second city wall and a new ditch, the first fortification of the Elbe front and the construction of new city gates with gun turrets. The fortifications were also extended to the eastern bank of the Elbe. The thus amplified fortifications proved in vain siege 1550/51 occasion of the execution of the imperial ban in connection with the introduction of the Lutheran Reformation . The Magdeburg fortress also withstood the siege of 1629 during the Thirty Years' War . In the further course of the war, the fortification was expanded from 40 to 150 meters under the direction of the Swedish Colonel Dietrich von Falkenberg . Jumps and hornworks were built in front of the gates . However, since the expansion of the southern front was neglected, the imperial troops succeeded in taking the city at this point in 1631. The fortifications were razed on the orders of General Pappenheim .

Prussia's strongest fortress

Until the end of the war, Magdeburg's fate was directed by the Archbishopric of Magdeburg , after which the city came under the rule of Brandenburg-Prussia . In 1666, Elector Friedrich Wilhelm gave the order to repair the fortifications. The first step was to strengthen the Elbe front, with which the Cleve Bastion was built. A parapet was built in front of the city moat, and an approximately 800 m² Magdeburg citadel was built on the Elbe island of Werder . A second expansion phase began in 1702, under the direction of the Magdeburg governor, Prince Leopold I of Anhalt-Dessau . By 1713 a belt of eleven bastions was built . In a third construction phase under the fortress builders Hans Martin von Bosse and Gerhard Cornelius von Walrave , a further eleven bastions as well as the tower hill and Fort Berge were built . Around 1740 the fortifications on the northern front were 400 meters deep, the western front 600 meters and the southern front between 300 and 600 meters deep. The entire defense system covered an area of ​​200 hectares, which were offset by 120 hectares of urban area.

Fortification expansion in the 19th century

Rayon house in Steinigstrasse

In 1806 Magdeburg was considered the strongest fortress in Prussia, was besieged in the Fourth Coalition War from October 28 to November 8, 1806, and handed over to the Napoleonic troops by Franz Kasimir von Kleist almost without a fight . In 1807 Magdeburg was incorporated into the French Kingdom of Westphalia , and the city became an important link in the French line of defense of the Elbe. The most important measure for the further expansion of the fortifications was the expansion of the glacis , which was accompanied by the relocation of the suburbs Neustadt and Sudenburg . Their previous area was declared a rayon as a free field of fire . During the Wars of Liberation from 1813 to 1814, Magdeburg withstood the sieges by the Prussian-Russian troops. After Napoleon's defeat, Prussian troops returned to the city on May 24, 1814. With the introduction of the New Prussian fortress style , Magdeburg Fortress experienced a renewed expansion and reconstruction of its defenses. The ramparts were modernized, the banks of the Elbe were further fortified, and fortress gates were newly built or rebuilt. Numerous military buildings such as barracks and warehouses were built inside the fortress. The Magdeburg – Leipzig railway line, completed in 1840, and the creation of further railway connections brought about profound changes in Magdeburg's defense system. In order to be able to lead the railway lines into the city, new railway gates had to be built, of which the Old Leipzig Gate was the first to be completed in 1840 . A total of eight railway gates were built in the fortification belt by 1873. With the introduction of the "rifled gun barrel" there was again the need to expand the fortifications. For this purpose, a belt of 14 forts was built from 1866, which were laid out at a distance of 1000 to 3000 meters from the core fortress. After the area of ​​the rayon had been expanded, the fort belt began in 1890 with the construction of eight intermediate works.

Dismantling the fortress

After the general dismantling of the fortresses in Germany had already been decided with the imperial cabinet order of December 8, 1886, the fortress status of Magdeburg was revoked with the cabinet order of January 23, 1900 and the fortress grounds were released for sale. The city used the abandonment of the fortifications to acquire most of the land to expand the residential development and improve the infrastructure. In the north the connection to the Neustadt , which was incorporated in 1886, was created, in the west Wilhelmstadt was created and the development in the south established the connection to Buckau , which was incorporated in 1887 . The demolition of the city gates began in 1888. The two largest fortifications, Fort Stern and the citadel, were demolished in 1903 and 1922, respectively. Large parts of the fortress structures only survived from the western front. Five forts were completely removed, the others were initially converted for civil use. After the Second World War, only remnants were left of these.

Overview of the fortress structures

Northern front

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
Bastion Ferdinand		around 1720	around 1890 complete demolition		Gareisstrasse / Denhardtstrasse
Bastion Hessen		1688	around 1890 complete demolition		Universitätsplatz / B1 tunnel
Bastion Mark		around 1690	around 1890 complete demolition		52 ° 8 ′ 15 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 45" E
Bastion Lueneburg		around 1720	around 1890 complete demolition		Denhardtstrasse
Bastion Hessen detached		between 1717 and 1740	Parts of the casemates are preserved	094 18233	52 ° 8 ′ 24 ″ N, 11 ° 38 ′ 54 ″ E Hohepfortestrasse, immediately west of the university sports hall
Bastion Prussia		1688	around 1890 complete demolition		52 ° 8 ′ 10 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 3 ″ E
Hohepfortetor		after 1230	1888 Demolition except for one gate pillar, which was moved to Hohepfortepark	5422	52 ° 8 ′ 13 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 52" E
Krökentor		after 1230	Total demolition in 1888		52 ° 8 ′ 15 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 15" E
Barracks mark		1863	East wing demolished	1730	52 ° 8 ′ 15 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 45" E

Western front

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
Bastion of Anhalt		around 1690	Total demolition in 1871/73		O.-v.- Guericke-Str. / Danzstrasse
Bastion Braunschweig		around 1720	Partial demolition around 1890	3440	52 ° 8 ′ 24 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 12" E
Halberstadt Bastion		1707	Demolished around 1890, remains are still there	942	52 ° 8 ′ 14 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 9" E
Bastion Magdeburg		1706	Total demolition around 1871/73		Erzberger Str. / Virchowstr.
Bastion Minden		1709			E. Reuter Allee / Adelheidring
Bastion Pomerania		1709			Maybachstrasse
Ravensberg Bastion		1706			Damaschkeplatz / Editharing
Bastion of silence		around 1715
Arnim bastion		around 1715
Dönhoff Bastion		around 1715
Bastion Friedrich		around 1715	Total demolition around 1871/73
Bastion Heinrich		around 1715	Total demolition around 1871/73
Bastion Leopold		around 1715
Bastion of Orange		around 1715
Bastion Wilhelm		around 1715
Cavalier IV		1871/73	southern part demolished after 1900 together with the Helmstedt railway gate		52 ° 07'20.1 "N 11 ° 37'17.6" E
Cavalier V / Ravelin II		1871/73	In good condition except for partial destruction in 1971/73, since 2015 preservation and tourist use by "Ravelin II redevelopment association"	4796	52 ° 7 ′ 34 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 15" E
Cavalier VI		1871/74	abandoned in 1912, in good condition	4797	52 ° 7 ′ 47 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 22" E
Cavalier VII / Ravelin III		1871/73	Demolished in 1971/73 except for small remains	4817	52 ° 8 ′ 1 ″ N, 11 ° 37 ′ 34 ″ E
Cavalier VIII		1871/73	around 1900 total demolition		52 ° 8 ′ 9 ″ N, 11 ° 37 ′ 40 ″ E
Berlin railway gate		1870/73	Total demolition around 1890		52 ° 8 ′ 10 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 43" E
Helmstedt railway gate		1870/73	removed around 1890		South end of Maybachstrasse
Ulrichstor (old)		12./13. Century	1871/72 complete demolition		West side of Ulrichsplatz
Ulrichstor (new)		1869/73	Total demolition in 1896		52 ° 7 ′ 56 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 29" E

South front

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
Arnim bastion		around 1715	Total demolition in 1871/72		Broad way / Anhaltstr.
Bastion Cleve		1709	... built over by a green area, exposed and reconstructed in 2010	5049	52 ° 7 '24 "N, 11 ° 38' 7" O .
Cavalier I (Cavalier Scharnhorst)		1871/73	Abandoned in 1878 and converted into barracks, Kavalier demolished in 2016, barracks converted into a terraced house, remains of the adjacent war reserve waterworks completely buried	1433, 4780, 4779	52 ° 07'02.2 "N 11 ° 38'01.4" E
Cavalier II (Fort Berge)		1st half of the 18th century, alterations in 1869 and 1871	1903 Total demolition, star gate rebuilt at another location		52 ° 6 ′ 59 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 44" E
Cavalier III / Ravelin I		1871/73	Demolished between 1896 and 1933, remains exist	4806	52 ° 7 '8 "N, 11 ° 37' 23" E
Cavalier IV		1871/74	Abandoned in 1912, partially preserved	4795	52 ° 7 ′ 23 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 18" E
Buckauer Tor		1870/73	Total demolition in 1899, area completely built over		52 ° 7 ′ 2 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 37" E
Buckau railway gate		1872/73	demolished after 1890, remains	4807	52 ° 7 ′ 7 ″ N, 11 ° 37 ′ 28 ″ E
Elbbahnhof gates		1870/73	Largely removed around 1900	4130	52 ° 7 ′ 2 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 56" E
Leipziger Tor (new)		1872/73	Dismantled in 1890		west of the street at Buckauer Tor
Sudenburger Tor (old)		Origin 12th century, new building in 1546, renovated in 1773	Demolished in 1871/72, remains uncovered in 2010		Broad way / Danzstr.
Sudenburger Tor (new)		1869/73	Demolished in 1896, remains preserved	4801, 4802
Sudenburger Tor (new)		1869/73	Demolished in 1896		Hallesche Str. / Am Sudenburger Tor

West bank of the Elbe

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
old citywall		1275, 1525, 1725	largely preserved	305, 3027, 854, 5539, 301, 2866	west of the cathedral to Lukasklause
Kiek in de Köken		1431	receive	304	52 ° 7 ′ 29 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 13" E
Lukasklause		13th century	preserved, used as the Otto von Guericke Museum	5423	52 ° 8 ′ 10 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 3 ″ E
Leipzig Gate (old)		1839/40	demolished except for a few remains	3024	52 ° 7 '24 "N, 11 ° 38' 11" E
Bridge gate (old)		15th century	after 1945 total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 45 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 28" E
Bridge gate (new)		1860	after 1945 total demolition		52 ° 7 '46 "N, 11 ° 38' 38" E
Wittenberg railway gate		1848/51	1900 Demolition of the outer gate, remains.	5057	52 ° 8 ′ 10 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 7 ″ E

Werder and the eastern bank of the Elbe

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
citadel		1683-1702	Torn down in 1926/27 apart from a few remains	5001, 1986	52 ° 7 ′ 38 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 40" E
Tower hill		1718	Total demolition around 1890		52 ° 7 ′ 38 "N, 11 ° 39 ′ 12" E
eastern wing on the Werder		1846	Total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 29 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 58" E
Mittelwerk on the Werder		1846	Total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 23 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 40" E
western wing on the Werder		1846	Total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 15 ″ N, 11 ° 38 ′ 19 ″ E
Charlotte Gate		around 1820	Total demolition around 1890		52 ° 7 ′ 36 "N, 11 ° 39 ′ 25" E
Railway gate in Friedrichstadt			Total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 33 "N, 11 ° 39 ′ 37" E
Cracauer Gate		1730/31	after 1900 total demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 27 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 15 ″ E
Friedrichstadt Railway Gate		1846	after 1890 complete demolition		52 ° 7 ′ 33 "N, 11 ° 39 ′ 37" E

Fort Belt

object	image	built	Demolition, current condition	No. in the list of monuments	location
Fort I		1866/73	around 1920 total demolition		52 ° 5 ′ 50 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 46" E
Intermediate work Ia		1890/91	well preserved	2996	52 ° 5 ′ 42 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 53" E
Fort II		1866/73	Total demolition after 1900, the outline of the area preserved as a green area		52 ° 5 ′ 44 "N, 11 ° 37 ′ 9" E
Fort IIa		1871/73	rebuilt in 1892/93, from 1917 powder storage, 1980s object of civil defense, partially preserved	912	52 ° 5 ′ 38 "N, 11 ° 36 ′ 6" E
Intermediate work IIb		1890/91	Total demolition in the 1920s, the outline of the area preserved as a green area		52 ° 5 ′ 46 "N, 11 ° 35 ′ 18" E
Fort III		1866/73	Rebuilt in 1890, later total demolition, the site preserved as open space		52 ° 6 ′ 21 ″ N, 11 ° 34 ′ 43 ″ E
Intermediate plant IIIa		1890/91	around 1930 total demolition, area completely built over		52 ° 6 ′ 58 "N, 11 ° 35 ′ 23" E
Fort IV		1866/73	1912 Total demolition, area completely built over		52 ° 7 ′ 23 "N, 11 ° 35 ′ 42" E
Intermediate plant IVa		1890/91	public use from the mid-1920s, well preserved, now Oekozentrum and -Institut Magdeburg / Sachsen-Anhalt e. V.	1479	52 ° 8 ′ 5 "N, 11 ° 35 ′ 43" E
Fort V		1866/73	Filled in after 1945, partially preserved		52 ° 8 ′ 26 "N, 11 ° 36 ′ 30" E
Fort VI		1866/73	after 1920 forest school, after 1945 state administration, civil defense, well preserved	2172	52 ° 9 '14 "N, 11 ° 36' 39" E
Intermediate work VIa		1890/91	used for social purposes from the mid-1920s, in good condition	5046	52 ° 9 ′ 39 ″ N, 11 ° 37 ′ 27 ″ E
Fort VII		1866/73	Sports facility since 1920, remains available	3683, 5398	52 ° 9 ′ 55 "N, 11 ° 38 ′ 13" E
Fort VIII (old)		1866/73	Gradual demolition from 1888, the area completely built over		52 ° 9 ′ 27 "N, 11 ° 40 ′ 4" E
Fort VIII (new)		1890/91	1912 Total demolition, area completely built over		52 ° 10 ′ 0 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 23 ″ E
Intermediate plant VIII a		1890/91	after 1910 total demolition, area completely built over		52 ° 9 ′ 27 "N, 11 ° 40 ′ 4" E
Fort IX		1866/73	1900–1945 military training area, then rubble dump, area completely built over		52 ° 8 ′ 32 "N, 11 ° 39 ′ 44" E
Fort X		1866/73	Remodeling in 1892, from 1933 onwards gradual dismantling, area completely built over		52 ° 7 ′ 52 ″ N, 11 ° 41 ′ 10 ″ E
Fort XI		1866/73	Partial dismantling from 1912, remains preserved	4342	52 ° 6 ′ 48 "N, 11 ° 40 ′ 21" E
Fort XII		1866/73	Incorporated in the Rothehornpark in 1980, state use in the 1980s, afterwards use of restaurants, remains available	1618	52 ° 6 ′ 31 ″ N, 11 ° 39 ′ 11 ″ E

Web links

• Digital register of monuments of the city of Magdeburg
• City fortifications in the plan of Magdeburg from 1809 .
• Remains of the city fortifications and the fort belt in the measuring table sheet 2100 , 2101 and 2167 from 1936.

literature

• Magdeburg and its surroundings (= values ​​of our homeland . Volume 19). 1st edition. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 1973. ZDB -ID 843317-3
• Helmut Asmus: 1200 years of Magdeburg. From the imperial palace to the state capital. A city story. Volume 2: The years 1631 to 1848. Scriptum, Halberstadt 2002, ISBN 3-933046-16-5 .
• Sabine Ulrich: Magdeburg barracks (= state capital Magdeburg. Vol. 81, ZDB -ID 1222115-6 ). Magdeburg - Office for Public Relations and Protocol, Magdeburg 2002.
• Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments. Saxony-Anhalt. Volume 1: Ute Bednarz, Fokhard Cremer u. a .: Administrative region of Magdeburg. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-422-03069-7 .
• Bernhard Mai, Christiane Mai: Magdeburg Fortress. Verlag Janos Stekovics, Dößel 2006, ISBN 3-89923-098-1 .

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap