Ruine Walkenstein: A Medieval Watch and Residential Tower in Germany
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 3.9
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Germany
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
History
Ruine Walkenstein, also known as Falkenstein or Valkenstein, is the remnant of a medieval hilltop castle in Germany near Oberwolfach. The Counts of Fürstenberg probably built the tower castle during the fourteenth century as a watch and residential tower. It helped secure the valley while allowing its owners to monitor mining rights and the movement of ore.
Aigelwart von Valkenstein, a medieval nobleman, was recorded as the castle’s owner in 1364. The site’s name appears in the forms Walkenstein, Falkenstein, and Valkenstein. The remains were documented and secured between 1988 and 1990, preserving the surviving evidence of the castle’s structure and purpose.
Remains
Ruine Walkenstein occupied a spur, a projecting ridge used for defence, on the western projection of the Webersköpfle at approximately 359 metres above sea level. The complex consisted solely of a residential tower, positioned above a neck ditch along its eastern side. This ditch was cut across the narrower connection between the spur and the higher mountain slope.
Residential Tower
The surviving square foundation walls are built of granite rubble stone. They reach up to 2 metres in height and measure approximately 7.80 by 8.75 metres, with walls averaging 1.50 metres in thickness. These substantial remains define the footprint of the tower and preserve the physical evidence of the castle’s single-building layout.
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