German Castles People and Battle Tactics A Presentation by Robert Jay Melo (see last slide for sources cited)

Introduction: The Middle Ages Began around 500 AD (near the fall of the Roman Empire), and ended around 1500 AD A time of intense war, population movement, advancements in technology, and changes in civilization. Pictured: The C 【

Q: When were many of the German castles originally built? A: The time-frame they were built in varies, but many were recorded as being built in the central to late Middle Ages. Q: How many German castles exist? A: An interest site RoadsToRuins.com has approximately 149 castles listed. These are sites that have ruins, or restored castles. Q: When were many of the German castles originally built? A: The time-frame they were built in varies, but many were recorded as being built in the central to late Middle Ages. Q: How many German castles exist? A: An interest site RoadsToRuins.com has approximately 149 castles listed. These are sites that have ruins, or restored castles.

The Rhine River where many castles were built to regulate traffic, and collect tolls.

Some Vocabulary: Das Kastell: Castle Die Burg: Castle Der Burggraben: Moat Das Katapult: Catapult Die Zugbrücke: Drawbridge Der Rhein: The Rhine River Pictured: Pfalzgrafenstein

Donaustauf Resides in: Regensburg - Passau Built: Sometime between Owner: (possibly) Bishop Tuto This castle was burned down early in its existence, then occupied in 1161 by Henry the Lion.

FalkenBurg Resides in: Bamberg Owned by: (possibly) Herren von Falkenburg Built in: Approximately 1154 This castle was noted for its having been constructed on top of a large piece of solid rock, making it impenetrable to tunnelers that might otherwise find their way into the castle during a siege.

Gossweinstein Resides in: Bamberg Built: Sometime in the 11 th Century Owned by: Bishops of Bamberg for about a hundred years Involved in a peasant revolt, and the Margrave War, it was destroyed in both of those incidents, then rebuilt in It was then acquired by Freiherren von Sohlhern, and remains today in that family.

Resides in: Trier-Koblenz Built in: Sometime around 1000 Original Owner: Franconian Palatine Counts Cochem was seized by the German Emperor in 1151, and was then mortgaged to the archbishop of Trier in It has a vast commanding view of the Mosel River which was essential to see enemies approaching. It has since been rebuilt, and is now owned by the town of Cochem. Cochem

Marksburg Resides in: Koblenz Built: Unknown time before the 11 th Century Owned by: Herren von Eppstein This castle overlooks Braubach, which was the castles original name. A defining feature of this castle is that is has not taken much damage since its being built with the exception that it was shelled during WWII. In 1283, the castle was passed to the Counts of Katzenelnbogen through a marriage to the daughter of the Count of Eppstein. It remains to this day in excellent condition.

Burghausen Resides in: Munich Built in: Some time before 1025 Owned by: Ratpotonen Family This very large castle takes up a great deal of the land on top of its hill. It was originally a wood fortified castle, and was eventually expanded to the 6 courtyards it has now.

Some notes on castle life: A well had to be dug, most likely by hand, and sometimes through rock. This is an especially difficult task as there was usually much rock in the area surrounding the castle. It was essential that a well be maintained, should the castle be attacked, there was a chance that the attacker may attempt to starve you by cutting off your supplies. One of the royal amenities included an in-house toilet from which a person could relief themselves without having to leave the castle.

Q: What was daily life like for the people of these times? A: If you were what was considered a commoner, meaning you didn’t belong to the church, or nobility, you would then be part of one of these four groups: Bailiff – Collected Taxes, and managed Taxable or Inherited lands. Craftsman – Crafter of Candles, Shoes, and other items for royalty Servant – Made beds, prepared food, and handled other various duties for royalty Peasant – Farmed the land, and sold food

As the lord of your castle, are you prepared to be attacked? Here’s some questions you might ask yourself: Do I have watchmen awake, looking out of my towers, checking for possible enemies? Do I have enough men and supplies to take on whatever enemy may approach? How long could I last in my castle if my enemy cut off my supplies? How many men does it take to defend my front gate? Do my men know what to do if the enemy breaches the castle walls?

Could you besiege a lord’s castle successfully? Some questions you might ask yourself: Do I have a scout to study the area surrounding the castle, and find out what supplies I need? Do I have enough man power to overwhelm my enemy’s defenses if I need to? What are the capabilities of my men? Can they tunnel under the enemy’s wall? Can they build, or somehow get a catapult, or other siege weapons? Is my army close enough to the castle to be seen right now?

The End (Continue for Sources Cited) Pictured: Neuschwanstein

Sources Cited: