Hüser, Andreas: Dieler Schanze und Festung Leerort

The fortress of Leerort and the Dieler Schanze were important Early Modern fortifications in the county of East Frisia and bear witness to the political and social balance of power in the region. However, they also reflect the conflicts that the young county had with outside parties. While the historical context of both fortresses has already been outlined several times, archaeological excavations have only recently taken place. As part of the INTERREG IVa-funded project "Grenzland Festungsland", the "Ostfriesische Landschaft" association of municipalities investigated both fortifications in 2010-13. The study of historical sources, extensive geophysical prospection, a LiDAR survey, targeted minimally invasive excavations, and the evaluation of finds have shed new light on the fortifications. They provide information about the fortress system, siege techniques, social hierarchies within the stationed troops and about the razing of the fortifications to the ground after their abandonment as military strongholds. This volume sheds light on these individual aspects and makes the findings and rich artefacts available for further research.