Landwehr (Asten area)

The Landwehr in the Asten area consisted of various late medieval and early modern fortifications in the area around the Kahler Asten , primarily to protect the town of Winterberg . Some of them are also known as Schwedenschanzen because they played a role in the defense against Swedish troops in the Thirty Years' War in 1640 .

In 1320, Archbishop Heinrich II of Virneburg ordered the residents of the city of Medebach to build ditches and fortifications on important roads in order to preserve the rights of the church and for the good of the country, in order to ward off robbers and looters.

In the area around the Kahler Asten there are five land weirs to protect the area around Winterberg . There is a double hill southwest of Altastenberg . On a map of the Grafschaft monastery from 1737, it is referred to as "Astenbergische Schanze". Their task was to protect the Heidenstrasse against Nordenau and the Nesselbachtal. The walls of the Landwehr are about 375 m apart and extend over a length of 165 m across the narrow ridges. To the south of it was another hill. This as well as the intermediate area have been under nature protection since 1943.

In the dispute between the Duchy of Westphalia and the County of Wittgenstein over the area south of the Kahler Asten after 1500, the Landwehr on the Kahler Asten itself was of great importance. In the 18th century it was also called Winterberger Schanze. It extends over 650 m and is quite well preserved.

Another, poorly preserved Landwehr moved from today's Hubertushof via the Herrloh , the Rauhen Busch and the Lanfert (= Landwehr) to the Dumel . This protected Winterberg against the valleys of the Negro and the Ruhr .

A fourth Landwehr denied access from the Orketal . A fifth, well-preserved Landwehr secured the area against the Liese and Nuhnetal.

literature

• Klaus Hamper: Landwehr and old roads in the Asten area. In: De Suerlänner 1958, p. 49