Landsfort Herle
Encyclopedia
Landsfort Herle was a fortification
with moat
in, what now is, the centre of Heerlen
(roughly the current Pancratiusplein), it was probably built by the counts van Ahr-Hochstaden (also referd to as Here van Are). The name Landsfort (‘fort of the land’) comes from the fact that the fortification come under the responsibility of the land. In the 13th century Heerlen, and thus also Landsfort Herle, come in to the possession of the dukes of Brabant , the Landsfort was (re)built by the dukes of Brabant in 1244.
The wall is believed to be one of the oldest still recognisable in the Netherlands, part is now being excavated.
A marquette of the fort was constructed from a map form 1787 found while the Pancratiuskerk
was heavily reconstructed in the sixties. The fort had three gates and had two towers (the bell tower of the church and the Schelmentoren
, both with 2 metre thick walls).
In the roof of the church were little rooms for the inhabitants of Heerlen to take shelter in case of hostilities, unfortunately these rooms were destroyed when a, supposedly German
, bomb
hit the church at new years night 1944/1945.
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
with moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
in, what now is, the centre of Heerlen
Heerlen
Heerlen is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the province of Limburg. It forms part of Parkstad Limburg, , an agglomeration of about 220,000 inhabitants.After its early Roman beginnings and a rather modest medieval period, Heerlen...
(roughly the current Pancratiusplein), it was probably built by the counts van Ahr-Hochstaden (also referd to as Here van Are). The name Landsfort (‘fort of the land’) comes from the fact that the fortification come under the responsibility of the land. In the 13th century Heerlen, and thus also Landsfort Herle, come in to the possession of the dukes of Brabant , the Landsfort was (re)built by the dukes of Brabant in 1244.
The wall is believed to be one of the oldest still recognisable in the Netherlands, part is now being excavated.
A marquette of the fort was constructed from a map form 1787 found while the Pancratiuskerk
Pancratiuskerk
The Pancratiuskerk is a Roman Catholic church in Heerlen in the Netherlands.-History:Although no written sources about the origin of the church are known, a comparative study concludes that building started in the first half of the 12th century...
was heavily reconstructed in the sixties. The fort had three gates and had two towers (the bell tower of the church and the Schelmentoren
Schelmentoren
The Schelmentoren in Heerlen is a Medieval Building that has served as a defendable living tower for the Here van Are and their successors. As part of the Landsfort Herle, it served as a prison tower. It is believed to be built on command of Theoderich van Are...
, both with 2 metre thick walls).
In the roof of the church were little rooms for the inhabitants of Heerlen to take shelter in case of hostilities, unfortunately these rooms were destroyed when a, supposedly German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
hit the church at new years night 1944/1945.