Schwetzingen - Schlösser-Magazin

VI.
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VI. Schwetzingen – Historical Context
The Castle of the von Erlickheim Family,
Last Third of the 13th Century
The core building of the medieval moated
castle at Schwetzingen is still recognizable in
a few places of today’s building (cp. Fig. 16).
When combined into a plan of the ground
floor, 59 they reveal a building measuring c.24 x
24 x 20 x 26m (the south, west, north and east
walls). The walls are aligned with the points
of the compass; the north and south walls
are parallel and adjoin the east wall at right
angles. The west wall is a diagonal, extending
the rectangle in the southwestern corner.
No reason has been found for this; property
boundaries or the course of the Leimbach
59 All major renovation work to date has been based on a survey
of the main building made in 1975 (Staatl. Hochbauamt
Mannheim, Bauamt Schwetzingen). Measuring of the historic
structures has been going on along with the renovation work,
for example, in the cases of the fruit storehouse (roof truss),
chapel, and north wing (1998-2004).
stream may have been accountable. On the
whole, the shape of the original fort was that
of a “Kastell”, which conforms to the ground
plans of moated castles in the plain.
Evident characteristics of the medieval
castle are the large rusticated blocks of the
southeastern tower, the donjon and the
stretch of curtain wall in the east (cp. Fig.1;
Findings 1). They come to about mid-height
and feature a very characteristic surface.
Most of the individual blocks have a strongly
projecting boss, which may have been a result
of the manner in which they were quarried,
or may have been hewn out of the quarried
block afterwards. The recessed margin is
usually rough and effected with a mason’s
axe. The occasional hole left by tongs points
to the manner of lifting and placing the