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T O P I C     R E V I E W Peter Esser Hello, I just want to start with introducing myself to the forum. My name is Peter, I’m living in Krefeld, Germany and I faound this site by chance. I have always been interested in mediaeval buildings - and specially castles. So I was very surprised to find a site devoted to this subject. I did not know how to start – and if you would like my English (I am not so accustomed to write in English.) Well, I choose this way to start: to tell about my favorite castle. If I am going to use technical terms without knowing the exact English vocabulary, I will insert the German word and in brackets what I guess is the English explanation… I love castles on hills and mountains, such as the Markburg (Rhine Valley), or the superb castle of Meersburg (Bodensee, Schwaben), but the very special way of building castles in my Region, the Niederrhein (Lower Rhine) is fortifiing the castle with a »Wassergraben« (moat). So there is the »Wasserburg« as a typical way of building castles. One of the eldest castles of the Niedrrhein is »Burg Linn«, which was built on a Motte (hill - the expression may be the same in English) in the 12th century. In the turn of the centuries, »Burg Linn« was moated and got its complete form. I really like the Torbau (gate building), the Bergfried (main tower) which made a wonderful playground for us, when we were children. Of course, these memories are the main reason for me to call this castle my favourite castle. Burg Linn was destroyed in 1703, and not restored before the year of 1926. The restauration was very careful. Albert Steeger, who was responsible for the restoration did not give the old roofs to the ruin, so that I remember Burg Linn as a roofless torso. The roofs have been reconstructed ten years ago. (I am not so happy with this solution, but this can be discussed in another place, not in the solar, I guess…) Nowadays ther is a yearly fair aruon the castle of Linn, the so-called »Flachsmarkt«. You will certainly know these great events with knight-tournaments, old crafts and so on… But I like »my« castle the most, when I am circling it in a morning run. (Here, on the website of Krefeld, you find a photo, on another page the history of the castle – in German language.) http://www.krefeld-city.de/burglinn.html http://www.krefeld.de/kommunen/krefeld/41mbl.nsf/fb_homepage/?openform ----- I forgot something: ;-) Even though I visited Neuschwanstein twice, it doesn’t belong to my favorite Castles… (Just because it is no castle.) Nevertheless, the adaption – or interpretation of mediaeval architecture in 19th century’s Historism is an interesting topic.) [This message has been edited by Peter Esser (edited 02-06-2002).] castleuk Hi Peter My favorite castle is the first castle i ever visited when i was about 9 years old, Sandal Castle near Wakefield in Yorkshire. It had all the things a little boy was looking for, a big hill with a nice hollow at the bottom to roll into and a couple of rough bits of wall nice and high, with good handholds to climb, long grass with lots of butterflys to catch, heaven. I still visit it now, i was there last Sunday, just as the light was fading, its a magical place for me, which for some reason draws me back time and again and i still have to climb to the top of the motte. Chris www.castleuk.net The castle location website. Gordon Welcome Peter, what particularly interests you about these castles, is it the history, the atmosphere, legends,architecture, or just about everything? Your English is very good, so there is no need to apologise for it. A motte, is a motte in English too, but you will find as you participate more and more, that castle terminology varies from country to country. Feel free to answer questions too if you are able, or to ask if you wish. ------------------ 'Demeure par la verite' Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page Peter Esser Thank you Gordon and Chris, for your welcome. I think for me it’s really a feeling of diving into past ages, wich make the particular faszination. I found some pictures of Sandal castle – on castleuk and another page – and I think these few bizar walls are a good challenge for one’s fantasy to crowd the ruined castle with people, horses, music and the smell of animals. Most of all I am interested castle architecture - for instance, how different styles came together when generations about generations have been building a castle. But the second is the question how people lived in castles. And to learn about their history and legends. (I remember when I was a child my grandfather and I often passed a ruined tower somewhere in the »Eifel« - a volcanic region with lots of castle ruins. My Grand father used to tell me the same story about a very hard-hearted Earl who was told had been living there. As a punishment for his deeds his whole castle sank into the swamp - only the top of the tower had been left. Of course it was not true - but what a story for a little boy!!) As an illustrator I could imagine even to paint a castle-book - or to design a medieval site for children. That would be a great project… http://www.peteresser.de/cart/cart_10.htm (This is an example from my homepage. It is an advertising-illustration made for a shoe market. The little bear called Bobbi had to search for Easter eggs…) Gordon Peter, your illustration is excellent, you obviously have a talent. Do you do non-cartoon illustrations? You share my interest in the past, As I travel around areas I know well, I imagine how things were, the interactions between neighbours, and how the land lay. This feeds my desire to know more fact as I build the picture. With this in mind I search for the castles and fortified houses in new areas, as I move to larger, more extensive areas. Scotland is a small country, but there is a great depth of fascinating local and national history, each little piece of information adds another piece to the jigsaw. My main interest in the castles is therefore the histories, and histories of ownership, and so the sites which are now vacant, can often be of as much interest as those with surviving buildings. ------------------ 'Demeure par la verite' Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page [This message has been edited by Gordon (edited 02-06-2002).] Fox Atreides The picture is very nice indeed, loks like it came right from a book Anyway, my favourite castle is, erm, darn... Im so bad in names... I think it was Hedingham (If that's the castle with only the beautiful keep left it's the correct name lol) And I like the middle-ages because I simply like history on it's own, and I like to know how things were arranged in older times. The military aspects of most historic ages interests me a lot too ------------------ -Matt- The world can be as you want, when you are as the world wants you. Peter Esser http://www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk/index.htm Well I guess you are right… Peter I think the interesting answers given to Peter's (Hi Peter) original posting, is that although castles are perhaps a main interest, we do place them in broader picture regarding the medieval age. If any of you had a castle when younger .. I envy you. Living in a large industrial town I didn't know castles. But of visits to the Welsh coast with my family on holidays, my father started things off with trips to Rhuddlan Castle. So, perhaps a soft spot there. As to Sandal .. an excellent site. Ah, Yes ! The latest C.S.Group Newsletter has a nice little section on the castle. Will post remarks in Book Nook. Fox Atreides It's Hedingham indeed What kind of a guy is someone who almost forgets his fav castle's name anyway? ------------------ -Matt- The world can be as you want, when you are as the world wants you. Peter Esser http://www.castlesontheweb.com/archive/files/German_Castles/model_2.jpg http://www.castlesontheweb.com/archive/files/German_Castles/model_3.jpg Hello everybody! This week I went to "my" castle and took some photographs. I spent some time to visit the near-by museum with the old wood models, so I scanned one of them showing "Burg Linn" and its ancient surounding. It shows the castle with its fortified forecourt wich is a lovely place still nowadays. In this model, town and castle are surrounded by 17th cent. fortifications. So when I get the photographs I will put them into the archive… (Just to give a little content to the "German castle" section.) [This message has been edited by Peter Esser (edited 02-14-2002).] [This message has been edited by Peter Esser (edited 02-14-2002).] Gordon Excellent. ------------------ 'Demeure par la verite' Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page levanne Hi, I have a soft spot for Levan having lived there but also Lancaster Castle having been there as a child - my first castle and been locked in the dungeons. Also all castles in Shropshire but thats my romantic streak spent my honeymoon looking at the castles of Ludlow Shresbury and others. I love feeling history come alive .

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