Muhu (Wallburg)
| Muhu | |
|---|---|
 Exterior view of the Muhu Wallburg |
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| Alternative name (s): | Muhu maalinn |
| Geographical location | 58 ° 34 '57 " N , 23 ° 10' 25" E |
The Muhu hill fort (Estonian: Muhu maalinn ) was a ring-shaped fortification in the southwest of the Estonian island of Muhu .
During the conquest of Estonia by the Brothers of the Sword , the last battle took place here in January or February 1227. Heinrich von Latvia describes them in detail in his Chronicon Livoniae. An army of 20,000 men crossed the frozen sea on foot and besieged the hill fort for six days. On the seventh day, the German and Danish attackers broke the walls. According to tradition, all 2500 defenders and those seeking protection were massacred, the castle was looted and burned down.
In the area of the castle, two silver treasures with coins and jewelry were found, which were probably hidden during the siege.
Stones from the castle wall were used to build the dam to Saaremaa in 1894 and 1895 .
The oval ring wall, originally up to 8 m high, measures approx. 100 m × 110 m and covers an area of approx. 3500 m². A memorial was erected in the center of the former castle in 1928. The original memorial stone was stolen and replaced with a replica in 1967.