Ruine Birchiburg: A Medieval Burgher Hill Castle in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.7
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page6 sections
History
Ruine Birchiburg, also called Burg Birkenberg, is a medieval burgher hill castle in Germany, on the northern slope of the Birkenberg near Bollschweil in Baden-Württemberg. Built before 1300, it formed part of a medieval mining district on the Birkenberg and occupied a hill position above the upper Möhlintal.
The Birkenberg and the Birchiberg family
The Birkenberg was first mentioned in 1291 as a fief at Birkenberg. The castle itself appears in the written record in 1347, in the testament of Johann Schnewlin der Gresser. His family held the lordship of Birchiburg. Because Johann’s only son was an Augustinian monk, a member of a religious order following the rule associated with Saint Augustine, Johann bequeathed the castle to the sons of his brother, Konrad Snewlin von Oberlinden. This branch of the family thereafter adopted the name von Birchiberg.
Destruction and archaeological investigation
The castle was destroyed around 1377–1378. The surviving documents do not identify the cause. One proposed explanation connects the destruction with a punitive action involving citizens of Freiburg during the activities of the Upper Rhine League of Cities, a medieval alliance of towns in the Upper Rhine region. Archaeological excavations took place from 1998 to 2002 under the direction of the Institute of Prehistoric and Medieval Archaeology at the University of Freiburg, with support from the German Research Foundation.
Remains
Fortifications and setting
The castle occupied a sloping site at approximately 515.6 metres above sea level, on the northern side of the Birkenberg in the upper Möhlintal below St. Ulrich Monastery. Its defensive enclosure included a mantle wall, a fortification wall protecting several sides of a castle, which stood at least 5 metres high around three sides of the complex. A particularly strong shield wall defended the southern side, where the position was most exposed to attack.
Tower and residential buildings
Excavation revealed a square tower measuring approximately 5.5 to 6 metres on each side and at least one residential building. An abort tower, a latrine tower with a channel for removing waste, was attached to the western side and included a wastewater channel. The surviving fabric of the castle consists of wall remains from this defensive and residential complex.
Nearby sites
