Fortified gateway
A heavily fortified gateway element of castles or walled towns.
A fortified gateway is a component found in various defensive structures, including castles and walled towns. Such gates have existed from the Bronze Age through to modern times. In German, a "Torburg" (literally "gate castle") refers to a largely self-contained and strongly defended gateway belonging to a castle or town. This type of medieval gateway often features additional defenses positioned in front of it. A common design is the tower gateway (German: *Turmtorburg*), with a variant being the bastion gateway (German: *Halbrundturmtorburg*). These gateways are frequently found across Europe.
- Type
- architectural element
- Earliest known period
- Bronze Age
- Common region
- Europe
- German term
- Torburg
- Common forms
- tower gateway (Turmtorburg), bastion gateway (Halbrundturmtorburg)
Lore & Background
Fortified gateways appear in the Bronze Age and continue into modern times. They are elements of fortified structures such as castles or walled towns. In German, a 'Torburg' is a relatively autonomous and heavily fortified gateway of a castle or town, common in Europe.
Reader's Guide
Medieval castle gateways of the Torburg type usually have additional fortifications in front of them. A common form is the tower gateway (German: Turmtorburg); a variant is the bastion gateway (German: Halbrundturmtorburg). Examples in Europe include the Deutsches Tor in Metz, several gates in Cologne (Ehrentor, Eigelsteintorburg, Hahnentorburg, Kuniberts Tower, Schaafentor, Severin Gate), the Friedländer Tor in Neubrandenburg, the Porta Nigra in Trier, the Monnow Bridge in Monmouth (the only surviving type in Britain with the gatehouse positioned on the bridge), and the Stundturm in Sighișoara, Romania. Fortified gateways also appear on coats of arms of cities such as Bad Kissingen, Dinslaken, Königswinter, Limerick, Neubrandenburg, Uedem, Wassenberg, and Wiehl.
Did You Know?
- Fortified gates or gateways appear in the Bronze Age and reach into modern times.
- In German, a 'Torburg' literally means 'gate castle'.
- The Monnow Bridge in Monmouth is a rare surviving example in Britain of a gatehouse positioned on a bridge; other examples include the Bridge Gate at Warkworth Castle and the gatehouse on the bridge at St.
- Fortified gateways appear on the coats of arms of cities including Limerick and Neubrandenburg.
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