The Schelmentoren in

Heerlen Heerlen (; li, Heële ) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as municipality, it is the fourth municipality in the province of Limburg ...

is 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 period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Building that has served as a defendable living tower for the

Here van Are Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a T ...

(sometimes called the counts van Ahr-Hochstaden) and their successors. As part of the

Landsfort Herle Landsfort Herle was a fortification with a moat in the centre of Heerlen, Netherlands (roughly the current Pancratiusplein). It was probably built by the counts of Ahr-Hochstaden (also referred to as Heren van Are)prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

tower. It is believed to be built on command of

Theoderich van Are Theoderich of Are (German language, German: ''Dietrich von Are'', Dutch language, Dutch: ''Dirk van Are''; 1087–1126) was the first count of Are (the area around Ahrweiler in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany). Theoderich was a nephew of ...

. What is certain is that the building existed in the 12th century.

Name

Although now known as the Schelmentoren, it has had many names ( Bickelstein (or Bickersteyntoren website)). In the year 1225 it was part of landsfort Herle (sometimes referred to as

Castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

)

References

Defunct prisons in the Netherlands Towers in Limburg (Netherlands) Castles in South Limburg (Netherlands) Rijksmonuments in Heerlen {{Netherlands-struct-stub

Name

See also

References