Emder Wall, City walls in Emden, Germany

Emder Wall is the early modern town fortification of Emden, built from 1606 to 1616 by city master builder Gerhart Evert Pilooth, later advised by Dutch fortress engineer Johan van Valckenburgh. It consisted of eleven pentagonal bastions laid almost in a ring around the town, with the Ems completing the barrier; a broad town moat ran in front of the ramparts.

Built between 1606 and 1616 under architect Gerhart Evert Pilooth, the wall was designed to protect Emden during the Thirty Years' War. It served as a key defense against military threats during this turbulent period in European history.

After its military decommissioning in 1744, the wall became a place for walks and nature experiences where locals now use the green spaces and spend time outdoors.

The wall is best visited on foot or by bicycle, as the paths along it are well-maintained and there are multiple entry points around its perimeter. It helps to start from the city center and follow the outer ring to view all the bastions.

The wall's eleven bastions were never taken by storm: in 1623 Ernst von Mansfeld's troops occupied surrounding villages but could not get within cannon range of Emden. When Emden ships seized a convoy on the Ems, the captured guns were mounted on the ramparts, bringing the total there to more than 200.