Curtain wall

As a curtain wall is known since the 16th century fortifications the - usually - straight, but sometimes sloped wall between two bastions .

Sloped curtain wall of the Sparrenburg in Bielefeld

Word origin

The word curtain is derived in German from courtine , an (older) French word for “curtain” (originally a (wall) curtain hung between two pillars); the large stage curtain in the theater is also called courtine in French .

architecture

In architecture, the facade is between two projections called "courtine". The Engl. The word curtain , which means both curtain and curtain, is also derived from the French courtine . The word originally comes - like the word "bastion" - from the Italian, in which cortina means "curtain" and - transferred from it - "curtain".

The term Courtine was later (from the 18th century) transferred in the figurative sense to medieval and ancient defense structures and therefore today it is generally understood to mean the wall or the rampart of fortifications (of all kinds) between two flanking structures such as such as towers, bastions or other bulwarks.

length

The length of a curtain wall, i.e. the distance between two neighboring bastions, generally depends on the range of the close- range weapons ( bow , crossbow , rifle , light cannon ) that the defenders primarily used at the time the fortifications were built. Later, however, calculations were usually made from the flank of one bastion to the top of the next bastion, which is why, despite the increasing range of the rifles (or cannons), the curtain became narrower (shorter) over time and in the case of teneered fortifications even completely disappeared.

height

The height of the curtain wall and the building material used for it (mostly earth, wood or stone) depend on several parameters, so there were no general rules for it. In general, as the siege artillery became more effective, the walls became lower and lower, but that they still had to remain high enough that one could (barely) see the glacis in front of them . The building material used for the walls was very much based on the weapons of the alleged attacker, the regionally available building material and the financial possibilities of the client. Before the invention of the HE shells (especially in the northern part of Europe), the construction of walls made of grass-covered earth was popular, as these "absorbed" the full iron balls of the enemy cannons for the most part without any effect. However, since inclined earth walls are easier to storm, at least the lower part of the fortress moat, but especially the contrescarpe (the outside of the moat), should be lined with stone.

embankment

Siege tower

If the early and high medieval castle walls - with a few exceptions (e.g. Château Gaillard ) - were not sloping , the lower part of the walls began to be sloped in the late Middle Ages - mainly because of the use of movable siege towers on the attacking side whereby the besiegers should be kept at a distance. This has been common practice in fortifications since the Renaissance , because - although the siege towers quickly disappeared after embankments or moats were built - it was quickly discovered that the effect of stone (later iron) cannonballs was strongly dampened by sloping walls.

Gates

In contrast to medieval fortifications, in which the gate of the complex or the city is generally led through a special gate tower , in the bastionary fortifications it is usually in the middle of the curtain wall between two bastions that flank it from both sides. On the enemy side, the gate is (almost) always covered by a demi-lune (German name: half moon) or a ravelin .

Curtain point

In the plan the curtain wall adjoins the bastion.

literature

Michael Losse : curtain wall. In: Horst Wolfgang Böhme , Reinhard Friedrich, Barbara Schock-Werner (Hrsg.): Dictionary of castles, palaces and fortresses. Reclam, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-15-010547-1 , p. 174, doi: 10.11588 / arthistoricum.535 .
Hartwig Neumann: Fortress construction - art and technology. Bechtermünz, Augsburg 2000, ISBN 3-8289-0395-9 .

Web links

Commons : Kurtine - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wiktionary: Kurtine - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Remarks

^ Bertaux, Lepointe: Dictionnaire Française Allemand. (no year, around 1930/35), sv courtine; Duden (1908 edition), sv Kurtine (in French books about fortresses or fortifications, instead of “courtine” there is sometimes a play on words or, for a change, the (newer) French word for curtain “rideau”).
↑ Since the effectiveness of a defensive fire naturally decreases with increasing distance, the full range of fire was usually no longer used later
↑ Since numerous fortifications, especially in Holland and Flanders, were built almost exclusively from earth walls, they are often considered to be a special characteristic of the "Dutch manner" or system of fortifications. This is only partially correct, since in most of the other systems of the late 17th and early 18th centuries the rule established by Coehoorn was valid that the besiegers should not see a stone (if possible) (Zastrow: History of the constant fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and Manners of Fortification Art. 1839, pp. 186f).
↑ Originally a semicircular or arched porch (similar to a barbican ) in front of the gate, hence the name, but later this referred to an arrow-shaped (ie triangular) structure without flanks

Individual evidence

^ Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. (1974) sv curtain; Hyde: Elementary Principles of Fortification. 1860, p. 213; Lendy: Treatise on Fortification. 1862, p. 491.
↑ Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of the fortification art. 1839, p. 36; Langenscheidt's concise dictionary Italian-German. (1976 edition), sv cortina
↑ Engels: Fortification. In: The New American Cyclopædia. Volume VII (1859); Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim; Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of fortification art. 1839, passim, especially p. 101ff.
↑ Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim (the problem is presented there in several places for different fastening systems)
↑ Engels: Fortification. In: The New American Cyclopædia. Volume VII (1859); Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim; Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of fortification art. 1839, passim.

[1] Bertaux, Lepointe: Dictionnaire Française Allemand. (no year, around 1930/35), sv courtine; Duden (1908 edition), sv Kurtine (in French books about fortresses or fortifications, instead of “courtine” there is sometimes a play on words or, for a change, the (newer) French word for curtain “rideau”).

[4] Since the effectiveness of a defensive fire naturally decreases with increasing distance, the full range of fire was usually no longer used later

[6] Since numerous fortifications, especially in Holland and Flanders, were built almost exclusively from earth walls, they are often considered to be a special characteristic of the "Dutch manner" or system of fortifications. This is only partially correct, since in most of the other systems of the late 17th and early 18th centuries the rule established by Coehoorn was valid that the besiegers should not see a stone (if possible) (Zastrow: History of the constant fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and Manners of Fortification Art. 1839, pp. 186f).

[8] Originally a semicircular or arched porch (similar to a barbican ) in front of the gate, hence the name, but later this referred to an arrow-shaped (ie triangular) structure without flanks

[2] Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. (1974) sv curtain; Hyde: Elementary Principles of Fortification. 1860, p. 213; Lendy: Treatise on Fortification. 1862, p. 491.

[3] Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of the fortification art. 1839, p. 36; Langenscheidt's concise dictionary Italian-German. (1976 edition), sv cortina

[5] Engels: Fortification. In: The New American Cyclopædia. Volume VII (1859); Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim; Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of fortification art. 1839, passim, especially p. 101ff.

[7] Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim (the problem is presented there in several places for different fastening systems)

[9] Engels: Fortification. In: The New American Cyclopædia. Volume VII (1859); Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fastening. 1865, passim; Zastrow: History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of fortification art. 1839, passim.