Rothenburg country enclosure
The Rothenburg security wall from the 15th century
Rothenburg alone was able to acquire 183 towns under the rule of the famous mayor Heinrich Toppler (1340-1408) and now an area of almost 400 square kilometers belongs to Rothenburg - and that needs to be protected!
In 1420, the city council passed a resolution: a 62-kilometer-long and approximately twenty-meter-wide line of fortifications around the Rothenburg area was intended to protect the 5000 residents from looting. From 1480 onwards, three ramparts and two ditches enclose Rothenburg almost entirely; they are looked after and cared for by the so-called guardians. Passage is possible at the nine newly built land towers, so the economically important customs business can also be carried out easily...
Of course, the land hege cannot withstand larger war armies. But the ramparts, ditches and impenetrable hedges delay the entry of attackers so that the population can be mobilized. It is armed and usually successfully defends the large Rothenburg area. Even in the 21st century you can still clearly see the huge complex as an archaeological monument: there are still a few country towers standing and the wooded areas in particular bear witness to the artificial changes in the landscape - take a trip to the exciting Hegereiterland!
