StandortStadtbefestigung

City fortification

The fortification right was granted in accordance with the municipal law in 1188. A first rampart was probably built already towards the end of the 11th century. A century later Korbach´s old town had a city fortification with walls and towers. When old and new town were united in 1377, a second city wall ring was erected around Korbach in order to protect the citizens of both districts. Parts of the inner ring were removed only in 1593. The inner wall was being defended from a walkway, the outer one through embrasures.

Stadtbefestigung

There were slit- and key-shaped embrasures and loopholes in the walls. A city wall did not only serve as protection but also as an obstacle. An inner wooden walkway led along the wall. The citizens used to stand here to shoot arrows or throw stones through the embrasures. They shed hot pitch or boiling water down the pitch noses, little gullies of stone. Look-outs of stone served as protection. Approaching enemies were reported with bugles and fire signals. A copperplate of 1605 shows 16 wall towers, of which only the Tylenturm is conserved.

 
Stadtbefestigung
(Photo: Birgit Emde)

Korbach had five town gates, which were demolished in the 19th century in order to make room for the traffic. Only part of the Enser Tor is conserved.

Breaking down fortifications with cannons and long-range weapons made them unnecessary (16th century). However, most of the city wall remains conserved till this day.

© Torben Müller /M. Möller

 
Stadtbefestigung


Literatur:

Hans Osterhold: Meine Stadt. Korbacher Bauten erzählen Stadtgeschichte, hrsg. vom Magistrat der Kreisstadt Korbach, 3. Aufl., Korbach 2004.

Ein Rundgang durch die alte Stadt, bearb. von Ursula Wolkers, hrsg. vom Wilhelm Bing Verlag und Magistrat der Stadt Korbach mit Förderung der Sparkassenstiftung Waldeck-Frankenberg, Korbach 1999.