Fortress Magdeburg-Old Leipzig Gate

The origins of Magdeburg's fortifications date back to the 13th century. These were repeatedly expanded and strengthened due to the development of firearms, especially between 1450 and 1550. The fortress withstood sieges in 1550/51 and 1629. During the Thirty Years' War, it was expanded under Swedish leadership but fell to imperial troops in 1631, who then razed the structures. Under Brandenburg-Prussian rule, reconstruction and further expansion began in 1666, making Magdeburg one of Prussia's strongest fortresses. Despite this strength, the city capitulated to Napoleonic troops in 1806 and became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia. After the Wars of Liberation and the return to Prussia, the fortress underwent modernization in the 19th century.