Shield wall (fortification)
Encyclopedia
A shield wall refers to the highest and strongest wall of a castle where it is clearly distinguished from the other curtain wall
s of a castle. The shield wall serves to protect the side from which the main attack is expected. German sources may refer to a shield wall that protects two or more sides as a Hoher Mantel ("high mantel") or Mantelmauer ("mantel wall").
There is often no clear, definitive distinction between a shield wall and a mantel wall.
s such as the trebuchet
. The thickness of a shield wall could, in extreme cases, be as much as 12 metres (e.g. Neuscharfeneck Castle
). Behind the battlements at the top of the wall there was usually an allure or wall walk; the shield wall could also be flanked by two wall towers. In many cases the shield wall replaced the bergfried
, for example in the ruined castle of Sporkenburg
in the Westerwald
forest or the ruins of der Alt Eberstein
near the city of Baden-Baden
. In other cases, for example at Liebenzell Castle
, the bergfried was built in the centre of the shield wall.
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
s of a castle. The shield wall serves to protect the side from which the main attack is expected. German sources may refer to a shield wall that protects two or more sides as a Hoher Mantel ("high mantel") or Mantelmauer ("mantel wall").
There is often no clear, definitive distinction between a shield wall and a mantel wall.
Description
The construction of shield walls was common in the late 12th century in Europe and may have been a reaction to the increasing use of heavy siege engineSiege engine
A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
s such as the trebuchet
Trebuchet
A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages. It is sometimes called a "counterweight trebuchet" or "counterpoise trebuchet" in order to distinguish it from an earlier weapon that has come to be called the "traction trebuchet", the original version with pulling men instead of...
. The thickness of a shield wall could, in extreme cases, be as much as 12 metres (e.g. Neuscharfeneck Castle
Neuscharfeneck Castle
The castle of Neuscharfeneck is a ruin and a cultural monument above Ramberg and Dernbach on the territory of an exclave of Flemlingen in the district of Südliche Weinstraße in the west German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.- Location :...
). Behind the battlements at the top of the wall there was usually an allure or wall walk; the shield wall could also be flanked by two wall towers. In many cases the shield wall replaced the bergfried
Bergfried
A bergfried is a tall tower typically found in medieval castles in German-speaking countries . Its defensive function is to some extent similar to that of a keep or donjon in English or French castles...
, for example in the ruined castle of Sporkenburg
Sporkenburg
The Sporkenburg is a late medieval castle ruin about one kilometre south of Eitelborn in the district of Westerwaldkreis in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.- Location :...
in the Westerwald
Westerwald
The Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the River Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhine Massif...
forest or the ruins of der Alt Eberstein
Alt Eberstein
File:Ebersteinburg Mosaik.jpgThe ruins of Alt-Eberstein, previously known as Schloss Eberstein . It is near the town of Ebersteinburg, just outside of the city of Baden-Baden, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany....
near the city of Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
. In other cases, for example at Liebenzell Castle
Liebenzell Castle
Liebenzell Castle is a hill castle on a sloping hill spur on the sides of the Schlossberg above the town of Bad Liebenzell in the district of Calw in the south German state of Baden-Württemberg. The fortification was once the most important castle in the Württemberg part of the Black Forest.-...
, the bergfried was built in the centre of the shield wall.
Literature
- Horst Wolfgang Böhme, Reinhard Friedrich, Barbara Schock-Werner (ed.): Wörterbuch der Burgen, Schlösser und Festungen. Philipp Reclam, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-15-010547-1, p. 228–230;
- Alexander Antonow: Burgen des südwestdeutschen Raums im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert – unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Schildmauer. Verlag Konkordia, Bühl/Baden 1977, ISBN 3-7826-0040-1;
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Krahe: Burgen des deutschen Mittelalters – Grundriss-Lexikon. Sonderausgabe, Flechsig Verlag, Würzburg 2000, ISBN 3-88189-360-1, p. 34−36;
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Krahe: Burgen und Wohntürme des deutschen Mittelalters, Band 1: Burgen. Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-7995-0104-5, p. 33−36;