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A *Schwedenschanze* in Lübeck Forest, Lauerholz

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 hastily erected, military fieldwork.

History

This name arose in connexion with the fighting during the Thirty Years' War, when the population of the Holy Roman Empire often used old field fortifications as refuge castles 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. Whether the individual fortifications were actually used as fighting positions, however, is usually speculative. Many of the often well preserved earthworks 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, for example, to defend East Francia and other regions in the 10th century from the Hungarian invasions.

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 or the Catholic League that were later called Schwedenschanzen; such as the Schwedenschanze in the Rhön.

Schwedenschanzen

Germany

Schwedenschanze (Altastenberg) near Altastenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia
Schwedenschanze (Belm) near Belm, Lower Saxony
Schwedenwälle or Schwedenschanzen between Brandenburg an der Havel and Brielow
Schwedenschanze in Buckow (Rietz-Neuendorf), near Beeskow, Brandenburg
Turmhügel Schwedenschanze (Burghaig), county of Kulmbach, Bavaria
Turmhügel Schwedenschanze (Kulmbach), county of Kulmbach, Bavaria
Schwedenschanze (Canstein) near Marsberg-Canstein im Roten Land, North Rhine-Westphalia
Schwedenschanze (Deesbach) near Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Thuringian Forest
Schwedenschanze (Delitzsch) am Neuhäuser See, Saxony
Schwedenschanze (Dornberg) near Bielefeld-Dornberg, North Rhine-Westphalia
Schwedenschanze (Dörscheid) near Dörscheid, Rhineland-Palatinate
Ringwall Schwedenschanze (Elfershausen) near Elfershausen in Lower Franconia, Bavaria
Schwedenschanze (Elmshorn) im Liether Wald in Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein
Schwedenschanze (Frickingen) near Frickingen, 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, Bavaria
Schwedenschanze (Höchstadt an der Aisch) in Höchstadt an der Aisch, 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), Brandenburg
Schwedenschanze (Neppermin) in Neppermin on Usedom, see Burgwall Neppermin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Schwedenschanze (Nisselsbach) near Aichach, Bavaria
Abschnittsbefestigung Schwedenschanze (Oberlangheim), Bavaria
Schwedenschanze (Peenemünde) in Peenemünde on Usedom, 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, 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) 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, North Rhine-Westphalia
Schwedenschanze (Weitenhagen) in Weitenhagen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Schwedenschanze (Zuflucht) in the Northern Black Forest