Marienburg, Medieval water castle in Hildesheim, Germany
Marienburg is a water castle in Hildesheim surrounded by two moats and the River Innerste, with walls reaching 2 meters thick. The structure sits on a route that once connected important medieval trade paths through the region.
A bishop ordered its construction between 1346 and 1349 to control the increasingly independent city of Hildesheim. This fortress became a symbol of the struggle between church authority and urban autonomy in the region.
The castle's architecture combines Romanesque elements with a 31-meter-high keep and a grand palas that reflects medieval German defensive construction methods.
The grounds are now part of Hildesheim University and can be explored by visitors on foot. Pathways run around the moats, offering views of the structure from different angles.
From 1949 to 1991, the medieval fortress housed industrial operations including a canning facility and an ice cream factory. This unexpected use shows how historic sites adapted to economic changes after World War II.
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