Defence wall

The Carolingian foundation building of the Imperial Palace of Ingelheim was designed for representation and was virtually unfortified. It was not until the Hohenstaufen period that Frederick I Barbarossa (1122-1190) had it converted into a fortified defence system. He had the palace renovated around 1160, enlarged its base and had protective walls built. As a result, the imperial palace underwent a profound change in function: the representative palace of the Carolingians and Ottonians developed into an imperial castle.

The defence wall, which is still visible in many parts of the imperial palace area today, was originally 270 metres long and its oldest parts date back to the 12th century. Until the 17th century, it was repeatedly repaired, reinforced and adapted to advances in weaponry. The battlements were probably covered and accessible via wooden walkways and stairs. Many residential buildings in the Palatinate region were built directly onto the strong, stable defence walls. This saved building materials, costs and effort. At the same time, this practice helped to ensure that the defence walls are still visible in many places today. At the circular route station “Staufische Heizanlage” (Karolingerstraße no. 5), the defence wall is accessible and offers a panoramic view of the Imperial Palatinate area and the Rheingau.