The Struvenburg was a

medieval 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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

castle immediately east of

Benzingerode Benzingerode has been a village incorporated into the borough of Wernigerode since 1 April 1993. in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Location Benzingerode lies in the North Harz about 7 kilometres east of Wernigerode, ...

, a village in the borough of

Wernigerode Wernigerode () is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,041 in 2012. Wernigerode is located southwest of Halberstadt, and is picturesquely s ...

in the district of

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

in the German state of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

. Today only a few earthworks remain. Very little is known about this castle. The name may be derived from the adjective ' = scrubby or rough.

Location

The site of the castle is on an isolated east-west limestone ridge, the Struvenberg, that descends towards the west into the basin where the village is situated, and is continued eastwards by the Ziegenberg. The castle is best reached from the western (village) side.

Layout

Whilst the steep 60° slope on the southern side of the ridge facing the

Harz Mountains The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

provided a good natural defence, the other sides were protected by straight ramparts with ditches in front of them. The ramparts, which are still recognisable today, clearly show the two adjacent rectangular wards of the castle. The eastern ward, with its deeper ditch to the west and its higher earthworks, is presumably the main, or upper, ward. The upper ward measures 70 × 100 metres, the lower ward 50 to 70 × 135 metres. Another

outwork An outwork is a minor fortification built or established outside the principal fortification limits, detached or semidetached. Outworks such as ravelins, lunettes (demilunes), flèches and caponiers to shield bastions and fortification curtains ...

with a length of about 70 metres lies on the extreme western slope of the ridge. The Struvenburg was a

hillfort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...

typical of the Harz. There used to be a checkpoint (No. 83) on the

Harzer Wandernadel The Harzer Wandernadel is a system of hiking awards in the Harz mountains in central Germany. The hiker (or mountain biker) can earn awards at different levels of challenge by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and stamping his or ...

hiking network located between the Struvenberg and Ziegenberg.

History

The castle may date to the

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...

era, because its archaeological finds date to the 9th century. Because other finds are clearly of Saxon origin, it is possible that the 9th-century castle was built on the site of an even older hillfort. Little is known of the significance of the castle. From its strategic location – the castle lay close to an important crossroads – it may have had a military purpose in connexion with the overthrow of the local Saxon population by the Franks.

Sources

* Erich Schafranek: ''Blankenburg am Harz: Bodetal, Regenstein, Rübeländer Höhlen'' (Unser kleines Wanderheft 77). Leipzig 1958. * Johann Christoph Stübner: ''Denkwürdigkeiten des Fürstenthums Blankenburg und des demselben inkorporirten Stiftsamts Walkenried''. Wernigerode 1788-1790. * Fritz Schlimmer: ''Die „Struvenburg“ bei Benzingerode'', under ''Kultstätten A-Z, Benzingerode, Struvenburg, Texte'' a

External links

Artist's impression
by Wolfgang Braun * {{AlleBurgen, 26997, Heimburg Castle Castles in Saxony-Anhalt Wernigerode