Marienberg Bergfried - Würzburg, Bayern, Germany
N 49° 47.384 E 009° 55.255
32U E 566285 N 5515660
The Bergfried is a medieval tower that also served as a dungeon. The ivy is further up the tower than the photo from the 1930's.
Waymark Code: WM16GBW
Location: Bayern, Germany
Date Posted: 07/27/2022
Views: 1
This round tower made of quarry stone masonry with a wall thickness of 2.5 m reaches a height of about 40 meters.
Construction of the tower began as part of the construction of the first castle complex under Konrad von Querfurt at the beginning of the 13th century. It was probably only completed under his successors. With the Marienkirche , the Bergfried is one of the oldest preserved parts of the medieval castle. Until the 19th century, the building was called the "Middle Tower" or "Wartturm". The wall of the tower has only a few slits. High up there is a ring of shooting hatches, below which you can still see the corbels that once supported a wooden gallery.
Due to its height and the clear all-round view, the tower served as a watchtower for observing the surrounding area and providing early warning of approaching enemies. The lower floor was used as a dungeon. This did not have an access door like today, but only a so-called "fear hole" measuring 50 x 50 cm in the vaulted ceiling, through which the prisoners were lowered. There is a connecting shaft with the upper room, the use of which has not been clarified (possibly food was served over it, sufficient ventilation ensured or it served as a fireplace).
In the event of an enemy storming the fortress, the heavily fortified tower was also the last refuge. For this reason, the only entrance was clearly elevated. It was not until around 1600 that the external stair tower to this entrance was made of stone. Further up there were three more floors and finally the watchman's room with a ladder to the windows in the roof beams.
There were further changes during Julius Echter 's time : the gallery was placed around the tower, the top was given an onion-shaped spire, which was later destroyed by lightning. A clock was also attached to the tower, which led to the designation "clock tower" (see historical photograph ). The shape of the conical roof as seen today dates back to the 19th century.
Year photo was taken: 1930
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to each spot you are required to take your own photo. Alternatively you can tell a story about your own experience at the location or any unique information about that location to count as a visit.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|