The remains of the Castle can be visited
CastleMagdeburg-Ottersleben
Benneckenbeck Tower
The Benneckenbeck Residential Tower is a historical monument in the Ottersleben district of Magdeburg.
The exact construction year of the tower is unknown. It is believed to have been built in the 13th or 14th century. However, the period around 1500 or 1520 is also sometimes stated. The year 1594 is inscribed next to the entrance door.
This residential tower is the oldest building in the village of Benneckenbeck, which was later incorporated into Ottersleben. The tower served as a refuge for residents in the event of raids and sieges. The three upper floors could only be reached from the outside via a ladder, which was pulled up when needed. There were several such towers in the Ottersleben area, but all of them, with the exception of the Benneckenbeck tower, have not been preserved.
In later times, up to the Second World War, the tower was then used as a dovecote. In 1945, lightning struck the tower. The roof structure burned out. Since then, the tower has been unused and is decaying.
Location and Construction+
The residential tower, standing in the garden of the Köhnescher Hof, is almost 18 meters high. The base is square with a side length of 6.50 meters. It is built from rubble stone. The building corners are bricked with light ashlar. The ground floor reaches a height of 5.50 meters and features a cross-rib vault.
The wall thickness is 1.30 meters on the ground floor and 1.00 meter on the upper floors. In the center is a brick column. The three upper floors, accessible only from the outside, were connected by a wooden staircase. On the northern side of the first and second upper floors are arched entrance openings. These two floors also have twin windows with profiled window frames. On the 3rd upper floor are round-arch windows. The upper floors had flat ceilings. The roof was originally a steep pyramidal roof, constructed as a rafter roof and covered with beaver tails.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wohnturm_in_Benneckenbeck,_Magdeburg-Ottersleben,_2005.jpg
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 52.0845, 11.5859