Wittorf Castle
| Wittorf Castle | ||
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 Castle wall from the inside |
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| Creation time : | 9th century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg, Wallburg | |
| Conservation status: | partially preserved wall | |
| Place: | Neumunster - Wittorf | |
| Geographical location | 54 ° 3 '10.5 " N , 9 ° 56' 41.4" E | |
| Height: | 15 m above sea level NN | |
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The Wittorf Castle is a hill fort near Wittorf in the southeast of Neumünster at the confluence of the Schwale and the Stör . From the castle, which was probably built in the 9th century, parts of the ring wall and some moats are still up to four meters high and difficult to see .
location
Due to the two nearby rivers, Stör in the southwest and Schwale in the north and a swampy lowland in the east, the Niederungsburg was well protected against attacks on the almost 500 m long sand island. It was located directly on important traffic, military and trade routes in the administrative district of Gau Faldera. In the immediate vicinity, remains of several Saxon settlements were found during excavations in 1949 . The size and arrangement of the fortifications clearly distinguish the Wittorf Castle from the series of simultaneous castle types in Schleswig-Holstein.
task
The facility served to defend the Saxon area and to protect the population against the Slavs , more precisely the Wends , from the east and the Danes from the north, as part of the defense of the Limes Saxoniae . In Mittelholstein, on the east side of the Saxon settlement area in Holstengau, north of the Wittorf Castle, the Einfeld Castle ( Margarethenschanze ) and the Bordorf Castle Borgdorf were located . South of Wittorf the castles of Willenscharen, Hitzhusen and Ulzburg. Among the named protective castles, some of which are still preserved as ring-shaped ramparts, the Wittorf Castle occupies a special position due to its size, findings and the distribution of the ramparts. Excavation finds by Hans Hingst show that the wall of Wittorf Castle was built from wood-reinforced earthworks and secured with pallisade walls. Fragments found suggest that the castle was used from the 9th to at least the second half of the 11th century. No records have been preserved about the appearance of the intact castle or its strategic use. Excavations (layers of ash) indicate, however, that the castle was probably burned down and destroyed twice during acts of war.
Status
Parts of the wall were restored in 1984. Due to the wild and unkempt vegetation, the ramparts and remains of ditches can only be seen at second glance. The city of Neumünster has placed the site under landscape protection. Due to the sometimes dense vegetation there, a complete overview of the area is relatively difficult. Lay-out paths lead along the wall and into the inner area of the former castle.
literature
- Hans Hingst, in: Die Heimat , issue 6/1950.
- Hans Hingst, in: Offa , issue 10/1952.
- The Neumünster Book, ISBN 978-3529061905
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
