# Fortress of Mainz > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fortress_of_Mainz > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fortress_of_Mainz.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Mainz > Source revision: 1343072176 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Fortress in Germany Fortress of Mainz Festung Mainz Mainz Site information Type Fortress Location Coordinates 50°0′0″N 8°16′16″E / 50.00000°N 8.27111°E / 50.00000; 8.27111 Site history Built 1619 onwards The [Reduit](/source/Reduit) of the Fortress of Mainz Provisions Magazine of Mainz; on the ground floor with restaurant The **Fortress of Mainz** was a [fortressed](/source/Fortress) [garrison](/source/Garrison) town between 1620 and 1918. At the end of the [Napoleonic Wars](/source/Napoleonic_Wars), under the term of the 1815 [Peace of Paris](/source/Treaty_of_Paris_(1815)), the control of [Mainz](/source/Mainz) passed to the [German Confederation](/source/German_Confederation) and became part of a chain of strategic fortresses which protected the Confederation.[1] With the dissolution of the Confederation and the [Austro-Prussian War](/source/Austro-Prussian_War), control of the fortress first passed to [Prussia](/source/Prussia), and, after the 1871 [Unification of Germany](/source/Unification_of_Germany), to the [German Empire](/source/German_Empire). ## 1839 In 1839 an article on Mainz in *[The Penny Cyclopædia](/source/The_Penny_Cyclop%C3%A6dia)* stated that Mainz was one of the strongest fortresses in Europe, and a chief bulwark of Germany against France. At the [Congress of Vienna](/source/Congress_of_Vienna), Mainz was assigned to the [Louis, Grand-Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt](/source/Louis_I%2C_Grand_Duke_of_Hesse), but it was decided that, as a fortress, it should belong to the German Confederation, with a garrison of Austrian, Prussian, and Hessian troops. This garrison in time of peace consisted of 6,000 men. The military governor, who retained his post five years, was alternately an Austrian and a Prussian general. A criticism of the fortress was that it was too large, as it required for its defence a garrison of 30,000 men.[2] The fortress of Mainz was connected, by a bridge over the Rhine, with the strongly fortified village of [Kastel](/source/Mainz-Kastel). The extent of the works, which were much enlarged by the French while the city was in their possession, including the work called the *Weisenauer Schanze* or *[Fort Weisenau](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fort_Weisenau&action=edit&redlink=1)*, but exclusive of Kastel and of the small redoubt, was two and a half [leagues](/source/League_(unit)). Among the principal works were the [citadel](/source/Zitadelle_Mainz), with the *Eichelstein*, and that called the *[Hauptstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hauptstein&action=edit&redlink=1)*, an extremely strong work projecting beyond all the rest, on an eminence called the *Linsenberg*. Kastel, which at that time was united with Mainz as an outwork, had very extensive fortifications, which consisted of four strong forts besides the strongly fortified island of [Petersau](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Petersau&action=edit&redlink=1), including which latter the works were of greater extent than even those of Mainz itself. The inner works consisted of 14 principal and 13 smaller bastions. On the land side there were four great gates with double drawbridges, and toward the river several more gates. The Rhine runs from south to north, and the [Main](/source/Main_(river)) from east to west. About a mile above the junction of the two rivers was the village of [Kostheim](/source/Kostheim) on the Main, and a little farther up a bridge of boats, defended by a strong *[tête-de-pont](/source/T%C3%AAte-de-pont)*.[2] ## 1864 Karl Baedeker writing in 1864 stated that Mainz was amongst the strongest [fortresses of the German Confederation](/source/Fortresses_of_the_German_Confederation). It was surrounded by a threefold line of fortifications: first ring, the [chief rampart](/source/Defensive_wall) consisting of 14 bastions comprising the [citadel](/source/Zitadelle_Mainz); second ring, a line of advanced forts, connected by [glacis](/source/Glacis); third ring, by still more advanced entrenchments, erected partly by the Prussian, partly by the Austrian engineers, of which the principal were the *Weisenauer Lager*, the *Hartenberg*, and the *Binger Thurm*. On the north side of the town stood a vast Military Hospital, facing the *Schlossplatz*. In time of peace the garrison consisted of 3,000 Prussian, and a similar number of Austrian troops; in time of war the number of soldiers could be trebled.[3] ## Structures and buildings According to Lehnhardts map of Mainz ~ 1844 [4] many [bastions](/source/Bastion) are to be found: - Bastion Alexander - Bastion Martin - Kasematte Bastion Franziskus - [Zitadelle Mainz](/source/Zitadelle_Mainz) - Proviant-Magazin - [Mainz-Kasteler](/source/Mainz-Kastel) [Reduit](/source/Reduit) Kaserne - Defensionskaserne - Alexanderkaserne - Gautor - Bastion Alexander - Gonsenheimer Tor - Rheintore - Fort Josef - Fort Weisenau - Fort Biehler - Fort Malakoff - Fort Stahlberg - Fort Hauptstein *[Fort Meunier]* - Fort Hartenberg *[Fort Gibraltar]* - [Bassenheimer Hof](/source/Bassenheimer_Hof) - [Osteiner Hof](/source/Osteiner_Hof) - [Martinsburg and Electoral Palace](/source/Electoral_Palace_Mainz) - [Old Armory](/source/Arsenal%2C_Mainz) *[Nouvel arsenal]* - New Armory *[Nouvel arsenal]* - Cavalier Prinz Holstein - Caponniere at Feldbergplatz - Rheinschanzen - Fort Großherzog *[Fort Montebello]* - Inundationsschanze *[Pont-écluse]* ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Jean Dennis G.G. Lepage, *French fortifications 1715-1815, Mayence* p. 243-245 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Penny-309_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Penny-309_2-1) ["Mainz"](https://books.google.com/books?id=TX7BmPgLuw8C&pg=PP7). *Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge*. *The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Limona–Massachutise)*. Vol. 14. London: Charles Knight & co. New York: William Jackson. 1839. p. 309. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Karl Baedeker, *A Handbook for travellers on the Rhine, from Holland to Switzerland*, Koblenz, 1864 - p. 279 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Franz Dumont](/source/Franz_Dumont); [Ferdinand Scherf](/source/Ferdinand_Scherf); [Friedrich Schütz](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Friedrich_Sch%C3%BCtz_(historian)&action=edit&redlink=1), eds. (1998), *Mainz - Die Geschichte der Stadt* (in German) (first ed.), Mainz: Philipp von Zabern **Attribution** - This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain): ["Mainz"](https://books.google.com/books?id=TX7BmPgLuw8C&pg=PP7). *Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge*. *The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Limona–Massachutise)*. Vol. 14. London: Charles Knight & co. New York: William Jackson. 1839. p. 309. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Festung Mainz](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Festung_Mainz). - [www.festung-mainz.de](http://www.festung-mainz.de) (in German) v t e Fortresses of the German Confederation Landau Luxembourg Mainz Rastatt Ulm Authority control databases VIAF GND --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fortress of Mainz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Mainz) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Mainz?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.