City walls of Naumburg, Medieval fortification in Naumburg, Germany
The City walls of Naumburg encircle both the civic quarter and cathedral grounds with towers, gates, and defensive trenches along a route of one and a half kilometers. The fortification runs through the southern and eastern parts of the inner city, with several sections still visible in their original form.
Construction of the fortification began in the 14th century, when Naumburg received its first continuous enclosure. During the Saxon Fratricidal War that ended in 1451, additional defensive rings and reinforcements were added to secure the city against military threats.
The Marientor Gate forms Naumburg's only surviving city entrance with its characteristic double-gate structure from 1446, which underwent comprehensive restoration between 1997 and 2000. The complex demonstrates how visitors once had to pass through two consecutive gates to enter the city, with the space between serving as a control point.
The well-preserved sections in the southern and eastern parts of the old town can be explored on foot through several public pathways. The site is best viewed in daylight when the details of towers and gates are clearly visible.
The pentagonal defense position at Jakobsring represents the most intact section of the 15th-century outer fortification system. This construction allowed defenders to trap attacking forces between two wall rings and fight them from multiple directions.
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