Wittekindsburg (Lower Saxony)
| Wittekindsburg | ||
|---|---|---|
 Foundations of the round tower |
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| Creation time : | around 7th to 9th century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | Wall remains, ramparts | |
| Standing position : | Lower nobility, landlords | |
| Place: | Rule | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 19 '34.2 " N , 8 ° 4' 59.9" E | |
| Height: | 109 m | |
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The Wittekindsburg in the Nettetal near Rulle in the Osnabrücker Bergland had an area of around 16 hectares and is considered the largest early medieval fortification ( hilltop castle ) in Lower Saxony . Today it only consists of a series of foundation walls.
Age
The outer walls around the core castle are probably the oldest part of the complex, which most likely dates from the time of the Saxon Wars of Charlemagne (772 to 804 AD). Using the radiocarbon method , parts of the foundations of the main castle were also dated to the 7th to 9th centuries. The castle was no longer in use at the end of the 10th century.
construction
The castle is secured on all sides by natural obstacles such as steep slopes and brook valleys. The main and outer bailey were also protected by walls, ramparts and ditches . Inside the main castle, excavations found the floor plans of several houses, including the foundation of a post house . In contrast, the older outer walls had no internal structures.
The prehistorian Carl Schuchhardt carried out the first archaeological investigations around 1890. More extensive excavations took place from 1966 to 1972 and continued in 2001.
Floor plan of the castle complex
House foundations
Rectangular tower
Ramparts
Historical sources
The facility was first mentioned in writing in 1253, although the name “Wittekindsburg” in the Osnabrück region cannot be clearly assigned. It is therefore unclear whether the castle actually has a connection to the Saxon prince Widukind (also popularly known as Wittekind).
literature
- Hans-Günter Peters: Archaeological monuments and finds in the district of Osnabrück , Verlag August Lax, Hildesheim 1973.
- Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz (ed.) : Guide to prehistoric and early historical monuments - Das Osnabrücker Land III , Vol. 44, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1979, ISBN 3-8053-0313-0 .
- Ernst Andreas Friedrich : The Wittekindsburg near Rulle , pp. 81–83, in: If stones could talk. Volume I, Landbuch-Verlag, Hannover 1989, ISBN 3-7842-03973 .
- Bodo Zehm : Between animation and research in: Archeology in Lower Saxony , 2002.
Individual evidence
- ^ Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz (ed.): Guide to prehistoric and early historical monuments - Das Osnabrücker Land III , Vol. 44, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1979, pp. 64–86
Web links
- Entry by Stefan Eismann on Wittekindsburg near Rulle in the scientific database " EBIDAT " of the European Castle Institute
- The Wittekindsburg on osnabrueck.de ( page no longer available )
- The Wittekindsburg on rulle.de
- Reconstruction drawing by Wolfgang Braun