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 Austria From west to east: Schwedenschanze (Lochau) in Lochau, Vorarlberg Schwedenschanze (Oberhaag) near Aigen-Schlägl, Upper Austria Schwedenschanze (Bad Leonfelden) near Bad Leonfelden, Upper Austria Schwedenschanze (Achatzberg) near Klam, Upper Austria Schwedenschanze (Engelstein) near Großschönau, Lower Austria Schwedenschanze (Buschberg) in the Leiser Berge, Lower Austria
Czech Republic Švédské šance (Horní Moštěnice) Švédské šance (Kovářská)
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
Poland Ciepłe Stare Bielsko Weklice
Switzerland Schwedenschanze (Beggingen) on the Randen (mountain), Beggingen, canton of Schaffhausen
See also Redoubt Schwedendamm near Wolfenbüttel Ringwall Schwedenschanze Burgstall Schwedenschanze
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