Burg Mark, Medieval castle ruins in Hamm, Germany
Burg Mark is a medieval castle site in the Uentrop district of Hamm, Germany. It consists of a tall earthen mound, known as a motte, surrounded by outer earthworks and water-filled ditches that still define the layout of the site.
The castle served as the seat of the Counts of Mark from around the 12th century, a family that gradually extended their power across a wide part of what is now Westphalia. After 1391, the counts moved their main residence to the lower Rhine following a merger with the County of Cleve, and the castle lost its political role.
The place is named after the Counts of Mark, whose rule shaped the region for centuries. Today, information panels at the site remind visitors of its former importance to local history.
The site is open to visitors on foot and information panels are placed throughout to help make sense of the remains. Dry weather makes it much easier to walk around the earthworks and get a clear view of the ditches.
Burg Mark is considered one of the most complete motte-and-bailey castle remains in Westphalia, even though almost nothing of the original stone structures survives above ground. What visitors see today is almost entirely made of earth, yet the shape of the medieval layout is still easy to read.
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