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The Franzensknippchen (also Franzensknippchen ) is a Roman burial mound from the 2nd or 3rd century AD above the north-western edge of the plateau of the Petrisberg in Trier , the Roman Augusta Treverorum .

View of the Franzensknppchen

With a diameter of 51 m, the hill is still up to 5 m high. The edges were fixed by a 1.50 m wide limestone wall, the cap stones were made of sandstone. Semicircular retaining walls, leaning against the inside with a radius of 6 m, gave the curtain wall additional stability. Similar semicircular retaining walls are also located at the entrances to the Trier amphitheater . In the middle of the hill was a square pillar foundation (4 × 4 m).

The last excavations at Franzensknppchen took place in 1866, but nothing is known about any finds, but the ground monument had already been ransacked by treasure hunters several times at that time . So it remains essentially unclear whether the hill is really a barrow. The findings also allow comparisons to be made with monumental victory monuments such as the Tropaeum Alpium or the Tropaeum Traiani . The location of the Franzensknppchen as an extension of a street between the principia and praetorium of an early troop camp suspected on Petrisberg and the prominent location above the city fits this .

In post-Roman times the legend wanted to see the grave of the legendary Trier city founder Trebeta or a witches' dance floor in the hill . The hill got its name from Franz von Sickingen , who is said to have shelled the city from here during the siege of Trier in 1522. But that was probably not yet possible with the weapons of that time.

literature

Coordinates: 49 ° 45 ′ 16.1 "  N , 6 ° 39 ′ 41.1"  E