Why were german castles built?

Question

Why were german castles built?

Answer 1

For safety. Each castle controlled a certain area of land, and the castles were often built high up so as to be able to see as much of the land as possible and to see when enemies were approaching. Germany was, at that time, not a country as we know it today. It was a collection of much smaller territories or states, each of which had its own government, and was often at war with the neighbouring states. The castle was meant not only or always as a place for the ruling family to live and govern from, but as a place where the peasants who farmed the land outside the castle walls could come to shelter in if an enemy attacked.

Answer 2

All castles are in general built for protection against outside attacks.

Answer 3

The question and then the answers I have seen are scary. Take away the Police, and most of the laws you probably all ready take for granted.

Then get a nasty group a few miles down the road decide they want something your people have. So they come in, beat you over your head, kill you, take your food, women and anything else they want, until you decide the next time you will defend yourself.

Back in the old days, high walls were built, and the King made  home there. Thus became the castle. They exist in most of the old world and the middle east.

Answer 4

All castles are build for the same reason, protection. But you have to see that it is not like “hey…that’s a good spot lets get a castle going, shall we?”.

Most castles where build on spots here already older entrenchments where builded. The early Germans had to defend themselves against other tribes, the Romans, other territorial warlords, the Hunnes and all kind of other rumble threatening there POPLUATION. Most castles where designed next to an village so the population could flee there in case of an attack.

You need to understand that at the times where there where castles there was no “Germany” but separate small independent earldoms/counties. Every one of there earldoms hat at there hard a castle as there political centre and “last defence”. With the passing of the Middle Ages these small counties started to disappear (mostly due to conquer) and much bigger “earldoms” where founded. The old castles remained or where given up (most of these where used as quarries for new castles or later 20th centuries renovated). After 17th century with the upcoming of cannons no castles (in the old meaning) where build but strong defence entrenchments to repel cannon fire and attacks of thousand of soldiers not only a view hundred as was common in 15th century. After the 18th century the castle was outdated and the concept was retired.

Answer 5

one additional information:

there are around 20.000-25.000 castles in germany

Answer 6

there´s no difference between Great Britain,Ireland and Germany why the germans bulit castles.They built it for defence.Only Neuschwarnstein was built cause the king want a pretty castle.

Answer 7

Bachelor pads for King Ludwig - a real swingin' dude.

Answer 8

In addition to the answers above (building castles for defense) there are other reasons that Germans built castles.

Many of the castles on the Rhine were built essentially as toll houses - they were offense in many ways.  The ships coming down the Rhine would have to pay the toll or be attached by the castle.

There are also some places we call castles that are really palaces.  Not necessarily defensible, but with some nod to that past.  Schloesser Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, two of Ludwig's castles in Bavaria, fit this mold really well.  

There are several German words that translate to castle in English. Schloss is a palace, Festung is a fortress, and Burg is what we think of as a castle.

Note that some castles had whole communities in them, others had only a family or two.   So they were built as homes and community living spaces also (ones which were defensible against hostile enemies.)