 Hohentwiel
With some anachronistic license: the Hohentwiel was Carl Eugen's answer to the Alcatraz challenge. It was Württemberg's state prison's with the highest security rating. The only prisoner who ever escaped was Friedrich Schwan aka Sonnenwirt. The memorable date was 1756 (one stormy night). Nothing underhand (everyone can hide in a dirty laundry basket). Schwan opted instead for a more dramatic exit. Repelling himself down some sheer rock walls. (He had trained for just that occasion in Italy where he staged several successful escapes from the local penitentiary system by the selfsame Reinhold Messner methods. The fugitive Schwan was award public enemy number one status. Nobody defies us and gets away with it. 20 pieces in gold, dead or alive. Signed Carl Eugen. The law and order side won this one in the end. A peasant type execution. Broken on the wheel. The Sonnenwirt's fate may have inspired Schiller, the wayward army surgeon and sometimes play writer (Die R...
|  Hohentwiel, the map
Hiker beware: A state of the art electronic turnpike built into the Eugen's gate bars unauthorized access. Tickets are sold at the car parking lot which the more challenging hiking trail by-passes.
Some fortress history: The ousted Ulrich, his writ reduced to Montbéliard use the Hohentwiel as springboard for the 'reconquest' of his Austrian held territories. The initial attempts ended in failure. Embracing the cause of the Reformation, a decidedly anti-Austrian step, did help in the end. Dramatic highlight: the persuasion skills of an Austrian agent who tried to incite the garrison to mutiny in 1527 were insufficient. The death sentence was carried out on the so called smith rock. Tarpeian rock would come reasonably close. Defenestrations were more en vogue in other parts of the world. No manure cart was waiting in this case. Legal detail: The original proprietors (the Swiss Klingenbergs) granted Ulrich the right to use the stronghold for military operations. Usual re...
|  Hohentwiel
17th century woodcut. - The smithy (located behind the second draw bridge) was kept somewhat apart from the rest of the buildings. Fire hazard. - The picture shows some salute shooting (the smoke belching canons). Either that or some enterprising Swabian housewife putting out her feathered pillows. Sunshine is free.
The Hohentwiel had at times two windmills. A standard post windmill and a somewhat 'experimental' radial windmill. A capstan driven horse mill is also reported.
|  Hohentwiel
Close up. The 'radial' windmill looks somewhat like a bird cage with some oars stuck into it. Could not fathom out how it was supposed to work. Vertical windmills are attested for mysterious Persia. The not so mysterious part: half the windmill was screen off by a deflecting wall. No problem as long as the wind blows from the preordained direction. As for the presented picture: place some tiered rings of votive candles under the vanes. Whatever it takes to create a decent updraft. Less likely explanation, a cleverly disguised Sikorsky helicopter.
|  Hohentwiel
The Hohentwiel was besieged repeatedly (5 times) in the second half of the 30 Year War. In time honored language: all attacks were repulsed. The mountain fastness was defended by the legendary Konrad Widerholt. (The Hohentwiel is the only stronghold of Württemberg which did not fall during the 30 Year War.) The picture shows a siege by Imperial forces. The mortars makes some sense. None of the surrounding mountains are as close as the picture suggests. Miles away. - The siege ring sports outward defenses. You never know when a Swedish relieve army shows up.
The contemporary picture is by Merian, a Swiss engraver. Father of the better known, Frankfurt born Maria Sybilla Merian. (Whose auto portrait did grace the transitory 500 DM note of the post reunification currency.)
|
 Hohentwiel, Widerholt and his coat of arms
Kitchen details: The fortress was well stocked. About 30.000 gallons of wine for the 100 men garrison (plus dependents) are vouchsafed for 1628. Rainwater, collected in cisterns, had to do as a last resort. One display board (display boards are scattered liberally throughout the ruins) refers to a spring somewhere below the castle, 'donkey spring' by name. 'Hippocrene' once removed. And who says that winged Hippocrenes were never used for hauling water.
|  Hohentwiel, Hauptmannsturm
Widerholt's coat of arms, the wether (minor pun on 'Widder' - ram ) and the trifoil, can still be made out.
|  Hohentwiel, the volcanic cone
The conifer in the center points towards the 'Williamswacht' (the smaller one of the two circular bastions)
|  Hohentwiel, Tori
Probably a mediation path with tori gates. Either that are some scaled up mini golf features.
|  Hohentwiel, Christo display
tentative title, pre wrapped salmon (I would consider shrink wrapped bodies of waters slightly more impressive.)
|
 Helianthus rigidus
nearly airborne
|  Solidago Canadensis
topheavy
|  Solidago Canadensis
Personal recipe for world conquest: Sprinkle the vineyard with magic dust for your rank and file requirements. Then repeat the procedure for tasseled, raceme bearing Goldenrod. Saves the golden epaulettes for the commanding officers. As an aside, it is quite conceivable that topiary gardens and related unicorn worlds will feature spiral vineyards. If galaxies can do it.
|  Solidago Canadensis
|  Echinops
Globethistle, the daisy wheel typewriter among the thistles
|
 Centaurea scabiosa
Greater Knapweed. The Linné name could be rendered as 'scab balm'.
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
The scaffolding is restoration related. There is no siege in progress.
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
These vineyards are reportedly the highest North of the Alps (less glamorous: East of the Rhine). The mountain peak is 688m above sea level. Relative altitude is about 280m (above the railway station of Singen).
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
The round bastion Augusta anchors the defenses. It dominates the only access way. 16th century and later enhancements.
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
The Rondell Augusta, the imposing 18th century look. (The best round towers are always built when the age of towers is over.) Same as with intercontinental missiles. Once burnt, twice shy.
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 Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
forbidding embrasures
|  Hohentwiel, Rondell Augusta
|  Knautia arvensis (or kin)
Field Scabious (or Small Scabious)
|  Knautia arvensis (or kin)
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 Hohentwiel, Hauptmannsturm
The rooms above this gate were the abode of the commander of the fortress. Split leveled construction with access to the fortress garden. Lightning struck at last once. Haan (Johann Jakob?), the 18th century garrison commander at the time, classified it as a brush with supernatural forces. He was safely ensconced in a tavern at the time. Time honored decoy strategy.
|  Hohentwiel, the palace gate showcasing the Hohenkrähen
|  Hohentwiel, the palace gate showcasing the Hohenkrähen
The gate to the ducal residence showcases the nearby Hohenkrähen to perfection. The only thing missing is a scenic rainbow. Variant reading: ample proof that skywalks between these castles once existed. The geometrical positioning would otherwise make no sense. - The gray line dissloving into the birch foliage is the Schaffhausen leg of the Sindelfingen-Lake Constance Autobahn (A81).
|  Hohenkrähen
Hohenkrähen (approximately, 'high hill of ravens'). One fortified volcanic cone comes seldom alone. - The secret charm of ley line tracing. Minor form of geodesic magic. Connect the points. From sunrise to sunset.
|  the monks of Hohentwiel
'Millennium view (1K event)'. The Hohentwiel will have been some kind of refuge since time immemorial. Any megalithic phantasy is permitted. The oldest walls still standing date back to the 12th century but a monastery (St Georg) is reported there around the year 1000. Can just visualize one of the highlights: Awaiting the down of the second millennium atop a rime covered volcano. What will it be, Ragnaroek or just an ordinary winter sunrise cum dog barking. One more vigil will probably do no harm.
More deep history: Charlemagne hands over the Hohentwiel to Pippino (a coming of age present?) in 806. Reputed Pippino comment: not fair - everyone else gets a BMW.
Berchthold and Erchanger, highly born 'robber barons', the 9th century version, had their den on the Hohentwiel. Clercial holdings in the vicinity were ransacked (St Gallen and property of the diocese of Constance). Church backed Imperial power did prevail, at least in this particular case. Both were exec...
|
 Hohentwiel
Xerophyte congregation. It takes all kinds of pillar saints. - I can see the silhouette of Lincoln in the left pillar face. Not sure if it is a good portent.
|  Hawkweed on the arch
Best guess, Hieracium murorum. You cannot go too far wrong with that.
|  Hohenstoffel
Raise the water level and you could probably get a coral atoll. Ok, you would also have to transform all those unsightly castles into palm trees. (For the shake of Darwin correctness: coral growth can start anywhere. The actual crater rim is of no import.)
|  Hohentwiel
The unavoidable public swimming facility. You can spot one from every one of the Württemberg's mountaintop fortresses. This is in Singen. Closed for the season even if the basins are not yet drained. The C-shaped loop to the left of the Rialto bridge channels a current. Brave the rapids challenge. Obviously turned off. - The Rottweil part of the Stuttgart-Zürich trunk line (the tracks in the foreground should be the Lake Constance branch) was upgraded for two way traffic in the early 20ties.
|  the dungeon
'Guntanamo' look. The Hohentwiel is just riddled with casemates, underground storage vaults and dungeons. High profile terrorists, highway robbers did qualify at the time, were chained to the walls. Chinese water torture. Do not forget to bring an umbrella. Few survived for long. The accommodations for dissidents (Jakob Moser) and white collar criminals were somewhat better. Some survived but lost their sanity. - The social status of some prisoners is hard to define. Knobelsdorff was a well known recruiting officer. The present day designation would be scalp hunter. 18th century context: recruitment officers for foreign powers (Prussia) were not always tolerated.
Carl Eugen wavered between Ancient Regime excesses and Prussian austerity. His lifestyle changed as often as his alliances. Neutral: it was often hard to tell with him how the wind the blowing. You had to be nimble. His chancellor, the disreputable count Montmartin, was probably even more disli...
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 Hohentwiel, officer quarters
lower courtyard view
|  Hohentwiel, officer quarters
Partial overhead view. Chiaroscuro effect.
|  Hohentwiel, barracks buildings and PX (Marketenderei)
|  Hohentwiel
scaling the walls (or hiding behind it)
|  Hohentwiel, remains of a barracks building
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