An advanced work, advance-work or advanced outwork is a

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

or outwork in front of the main defensive building or castle.''Der Fortgürtel der Festung Ingolstadt ist einmalig.''
retrieved 27 October 2015 In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, advanced works, known as ''Vorwerke'' (singular: ''Vorwerk''), were commonly found in smaller villages that were located in front of the main castle. Within these advanced works often lived relatives of the

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ly family whose ancestral seat was in the castle itself. As a result, the advanced works became

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

s and were known locally as ''

schloss ''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house. Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate ...

es''. They were suitable for defending against minor attacks and offered the village population a degree of protection. In the case of major attacks they also acted as an

early warning system An early warning system is a warning system that can be implemented as a chain of information communication systems and comprises sensors, event detection and decision subsystems for early identification of hazards. They work together to forec ...

for the castle. Because the advanced works were supposed to function autonomously, a link with agricultural estates was possible, such estates then became granges or ''vorwerkenden Gutshöfen''. Later they also took over administrative tasks. Over the course of time these advanced works detached themselves from the castle and became independent estates.

References

{{Fortifications Fortification (architectural elements) Castle architecture

See also

References