There are numerous prehistorical and early historical

ringwork A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles without the motte. Defences were usually earthworks in the form of a ditch and bank surrounding the site. ...

s and fortification ramparts in Central Europe that have erroneously, usually colloquially, been given the name Schwedenschanze, which means "Swedish

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

", a ''

schanze A ''schanze'' () is, according to the specialist terminology of German fortification construction, an independent fieldwork, that is frequently used in the construction of temporary (not permanent) field fortifications.Rüstow: ''Militärisches Han ...

'' being a hastily erected, military

fieldwork Field research, field studies, or fieldwork is the collection of raw data outside a laboratory, library, or workplace setting. The approaches and methods used in field research vary across disciplines. For example, biologists who conduct fie ...

History

This name arose in connexion with the fighting during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

, when the population of 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 ...

often used old field fortifications as

refuge castle A refuge castleCreighton, Oliver (2015). ''Early European Castles''. Bloomsbury. or refuge fort (german: Fliehburg, also ''Fluchtburg'', ''Volksburg'', ''Bauernburg'' or ''Vryburg'') is a castle-like defensive location, usually surrounded by rampa ...

s or hidden livestock pens. Particularly in Catholic areas this action was taken to protect people from the Protestant forces of the Swedish king,

Gustavus II Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...

. Whether the individual fortifications were actually used as fighting positions, however, is usually speculative. Many of the often well preserved

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour * Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), m ...

in the forests of Europe were probably later associated wrongly with this religious war. The history of these heritage sites often goes back several thousand years. They were frequently extended during the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

, for example, to defend

East Francia East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire, empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided t ...

and other regions in the 10th century from the

Hungarian invasions The Hungarian invasions of Europe ( hu, kalandozások, german: Ungarneinfälle) took place in the 9th and 10th centuries, the period of transition in the history of Europe in the Early Middle Ages, when the territory of the former Carolingian Em ...

. It is true that in the 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War, numerous earthworks and ''schanzen'' were thrown up during the conflict. But these are clearly distinguishable from the older sites by their regular, geometric shapes. Occasionally there were also fortifications that were actually built by the Imperial Army, i.e. Catholic League troops that were later called ''Schwedenschanzen''; such as the Schwedenschanze in the Rhön.

''Schwedenschanzen''

Germany

Schwedenschanze (Altastenberg) There are numerous prehistorical and early historical ringworks and fortification ramparts in Central Europe that have erroneously, usually colloquially, been given the name Schwedenschanze, which means "Swedish redoubt", a ''schanze'' being a h ...

near Altastenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia * Schwedenschanze (Belm) near

Belm Belm is a municipality in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the Wiehengebirge, approximately 7 km northeast of Osnabrück, and is therefore part of the city-agglomeration of Osnabrück. It is seated in t ...

, Lower Saxony * Schwedenwälle or Schwedenschanzen between Brandenburg an der Havel and Brielow * Schwedenschanze in

Buckow (Rietz-Neuendorf) Buckow ( or ) is a town in the Märkisch-Oderland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. The water cure resort is the administrative seat of the '' Amt'' (municipal association) Märkische Schweiz and located in the centre of the eponymous hill rang ...

, near

Beeskow Beeskow ( dsb, Bezkow) is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, and capital of the Oder-Spree district. It is situated on the river Spree, 30 km southwest of Frankfurt an der Oder. Demography File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Beeskow.pdf, Developme ...

, Brandenburg * Turmhügel Schwedenschanze (Burghaig), county of Kulmbach, Bavaria * Turmhügel Schwedenschanze (Kulmbach), county of Kulmbach, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Canstein) near

Marsberg Marsberg () is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century (it was even minting coins). It was a free city until 1807, when ...

-Canstein im Roten Land, North Rhine-Westphalia * Schwedenschanze (Deesbach) near

Neuhaus am Rennweg Neuhaus am Rennweg is a town in the district of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Thuringian Forest, 17 km north of Sonneberg, and 22 km southwest of Saalfeld. The former municipalities Lichte and Piesau Piesau ...

in the Thuringian Forest * Schwedenschanze (Delitzsch) am

Neuhäuser See Neuhauser is a German surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Adele Neuhauser (born 1959), Greek-born Austrian actress * Claudia Neuhauser (born 1962), American mathematical biologist * Frank Neuhauser (1913–2011), American patent l ...

, Saxony * Schwedenschanze (Dornberg) near Bielefeld- Dornberg, North Rhine-Westphalia *

Schwedenschanze (Dörscheid) The Schwedenschanze in Dörscheid in the Middle Rhine valley is a ''Sternschanze'' or star-shaped fortification that was probably built when the Landgrave of Hesse was besieged by the Palatine Kaub in 1631/32 during the Thirty Years' War. The '' ...

near

Dörscheid Dörscheid is a municipality in the district of Rhein-Lahn, in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in ...

, Rhineland-Palatinate *

Ringwall Schwedenschanze (Elfershausen) A circular rampart (German: ''Ringwall'') is an embankment built in the shape of a circle that was used as part of the defences for a military fortification, hill fort or refuge, or was built for religious purposes or as a place of gathering. The ...

near

Elfershausen Elfershausen is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany. Elfershausen is a market town (''Markt'') or municipality that includes the following towns: *Elfershausen *Engenthal *Langendorf *Machtilshausen *Trimberg H ...

in Lower Franconia, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Elmshorn) im Liether Wald in

Elmshorn Elmshorn (; nds, Elmshoorn) is a town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is 30 km north of Hamburg on the small river Krückau, a tributary of the Elbe, and with about 50,000 inhabitants is the sixth-largest to ...

, Schleswig-Holstein * Schwedenschanze (Frickingen) near

Frickingen Frickingen is a municipality and a village in the district of Bodensee in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in ...

, Baden-Württemberg * Schwedenschanze (Gersfeld) near Rodenbach in the Rhön near the Reesberg, Hesse * Schwedenschanze (Gotha) near Gotha in Thuringia * Schwedenschanze in the Dölauer Heide in Halle (Saale), Saxony-Anhalt * Schwedenschanze (Haßberge) on the Kamm der Haßberge, Bavaria * Ringwall Schwedenschanze (Heiligenstadt in Oberfranken) northwest of

Heiligenstadt in Oberfranken Heiligenstadt in Oberfranken (officially: Heiligenstadt i. OFr.) is a community with market rights in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg. The town clusters round the base of Schloss Greifenstein. To further tourism the old school was con ...

, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Höchstadt an der Aisch) in

Höchstadt an der Aisch Höchstadt an der Aisch, commonly known as Höchstadt (), is a town in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district, in Bavaria, Germany. Geography Höchstadt is situated on the river Aisch, 18 km northwest of Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian: '' ...

, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Höhbeck) in the Elbtalaue Wendland Nature Park, Lower Saxony * Schwedenschanze Isingerode near Isingerode, Lower Saxony * Schwedenschanze (Kelsterbach) in Kelsterbach, Hesse * Schwedenschanze (Klein Hutbergen) near Verden (Aller), Lower Saxony * Schwedenschanze (Lossow) near

Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

, Brandenburg * Schwedenschanze (Neppermin) in Neppermin on

Usedom Usedom (german: Usedom , pl, Uznam ) is a Baltic Sea island in Pomerania, divided between Germany and Poland. It is the second largest Pomeranian island after Rügen, and the most populous island in the Baltic Sea. It is north of the Szczecin ...

, see Burgwall Neppermin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania * Schwedenschanze (Nisselsbach) near Aichach, Bavaria * Abschnittsbefestigung Schwedenschanze (Oberlangheim), Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Peenemünde) in

Peenemünde Peenemünde (, en, "Peene iverMouth") is a municipality on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is part of the ''Amt'' (collective municipality) of Usedom-Nord. The communi ...

, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania * Schwedenschanze (Pohnsdorf) near Pohnsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein * Ringwall Schwedenschanze (Kützberg) near Poppenhausen, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Preußisch Oldendorf) near Preußisch Oldendorf- Börninghausen on the Egge, North Rhine-Westphalia * Schwedenschanze (Rohrhardsberg) on the

Rohrhardsberg The Rohrhardsberg is a mountain in the Central Black Forest in southern Germany. At 1,152.1 metres (3,780 ft) above sea level, it is the northernmost summit of the elongated, north-south oriented Farnberg Plateau that has several high points ...

, Baden-Württemberg * Ringwall Schwedenschanze (Rottenstein Forest), Hofheim in Lower Franconia in the county of Haßberge in Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Schlangen) near Schlangen- Oesterholz, North Rhine-Westphalia *

Schwedenschanze (Spessart) Schanzenkopf (Schwedenschanze) is a wooded hill in the Aschaffenburg district of Bavaria, Germany. It is part of the ''Mittelgebirge'' Spessart and lies right on the border with the state of Hesse. There is another hill named Schanzenkopf sou ...

near Alzenau northwest of Mömbris, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Stade) in the Stade village of Groß Thun, Lower Saxony * Schwedenschanze (Stralsund) near Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania * Schwedenschanze (Teublitz) in Teublitz, Bavaria * Schwedenschanze (Vlotho) in

Vlotho Vlotho () is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, an ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia * Schwedenschanze (Weitenhagen) in

Weitenhagen Weitenhagen is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. The former municipality Diedrichshagen was merged into Weitenhagen in May 2019. References

Vorpom ...

, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania *

Schwedenschanze (Zuflucht) The Schwedenschanze (Zuflucht) is a former schanze in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach in the Black Forest in Southern Germany. It is located on the L 402, the "Oppenauer Steige", which branches off from the B 500 (Black Forest High Road). Another redoubt ...

in the

Northern Black Forest The Northern Black Forest (german: Nordschwarzwald) refers to the northern third of the Black Forest in Germany or, less commonly today, to the northern half of this mountain region. Geography The Northern Black Forest is bounded in the north b ...

Austria

From west to east: * Schwedenschanze (Lochau) in

Lochau Lochau is a municipality in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is located on Lake Constance, in the Bregenz district, near the border to Germany. About 50.3% of the municipality's area is forest. The Pfänder, the landmark mountain ...

, Vorarlberg * Schwedenschanze (Oberhaag) near

Aigen-Schlägl Aigen-Schlägl is a municipality in Rohrbach District of Upper Austria, Austria. As of 1 January 2019, population was 3196. The municipality was formed on 1 May 2015 by merging two municipalities, Aigen im Mühlkreis Aigen im Mühlkreis is a to ...

, Upper Austria * Schwedenschanze (Bad Leonfelden) near

Bad Leonfelden Bad Leonfelden is a municipality in the district of Urfahr-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Steven Beller, author of ''A Concise History of Austria'', who has family links to Bad Leonfelden, cites episodes from the town's history ...

, Upper Austria * Schwedenschanze (Achatzberg) near

Klam Klam is a municipality in the district Perg in the Austrian state of Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and ...

, Upper Austria * Schwedenschanze (Engelstein) near Großschönau, Lower Austria * Schwedenschanze (Buschberg) in the Leiser Berge, Lower Austria

Switzerland

* Schwedenschanze (Beggingen) on the Randen (mountain),

Beggingen Beggingen is a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. History Beggingen is first mentioned in 1278 as ''Beggingen''. Later it was known as ''Beckingen'' and ''Böckingen''. Coat of arms The blazon of the municipal coat of ...

, canton of Schaffhausen

Czech Republic

* Švédské šance (Horní Moštěnice) * Švédské šance (Kovářská)

External links

{{Fortifications Fortifications by type