The castle of the burgraves of the city (No. 24) stood in close contact with the imperial castle, and protected it. It was characteristic of that age that the noble families, clinging to the emperor like parasites, should erect castles even at his place of temporary sojourn and claim the privilege of guarding individual parts of his abode—a single gate (No. 16), for example. These lesser castles have long since been swallowed up by the extension of the underlying industrial city. Thus Colditz, Brauneck, Vielibeck, and other families had castles (Nos. 13, 14, 15, 19) on the same hill as the emperor's, but the remains can now hardly be traced.
No. to marks the position of the imperial stables; No. 22, the avenue of approach, which derived its name from the mercenary troops (.55Idner) who patrolled it; No. 12 is the house of the captain of these soldiers; No. 9 is the courtyard of the castle of the Zollern family, who afterward, when they had risen from the rank of royal counts to that of imperial princes, migrated to the neighboring Kadolzburg. The increasing num ber of inhabitants in the castle necessitated a larger chapel, which was accordingly built in the year 1428 (No. 8). It still exists as the famous " Walpurgis Chapel." Figure 3 shows the original appearance of the castle and its evident purpose as a fortress.
sites of almost all German cities were chosen on account of their fitness for easy defence; this circumstance explains the fact that so few large cities possess attractive natural surroundings. The seats of the clergy form almost the only exception. The invasions of the Mavgars and Avars led to the general founding of cities. The Avars settled in sonic districts of South-eastern Bavaria, where their descendants, almost pure in blood, though they have lost their original tongue, still live and determine the character of the population. But sonic cities originated later, though from similar causes. Such was the ease with Nuremberg,, a plan of which is given in Figure 5.
In order to check the inroads of the Slays, a chain of forts and castles was built in the eleventh century from the Main to the Danube. These were garrisoned by Frankish settlers, the ancestors of the later Frankish nobility. Around these fortresses settlements were established in strong positions by Frankish immigrants the descendants of whom differ even yet from their Slavic neighbors, though both have lost all knowledge of their diverse origin.
A sandstone eminence standing alone in the midst of the extensive pine forests which fringe the lower course of the Pegnitz River was con sidered a suitable place for one of these fortresses (fil. 39, fig. 3). A watch tower (No. 5, fig. 2) was built on the projecting ledge, the accidental form of which gave it its pentagonal shape and the name of the " Five-cor nered Tower" which it still bears. Under its protection some fishermen probably erected their huts on a few islands of the river; bee-keepers, who pursued their industry on the neighboring heaths, also settled there; and finally, mechanics who found employment in the small colony. Such was the origin of Nuremberg. The almost complete sterility of the soil compelled the young settlement to devote itself entirely to industrial and commercial pursuits, which advanced it so quickly above the agricultural settlements of the upper Pegnitz that it was granted civic privileges by Henry III., who probably had founded the castle.
The shape of Nuremberg is oblong (jig. 5), the river intersecting its shorter diameter. By the position of the churches and convents we can determine pretty accurately its extent and boundaries at the time the clergy considered it worth while to settle there. The town extended rapidly over both sides of the river, and was several times compelled to enlarge the circuit of its walls. The old walls on the left bank of the river can be distinctly traced on our plan, and just within them we observe an arrangement peculiar to ancient cities, which were, as we have said, constructed chiefly for security and defence. From the gates in the walls two streets diverged into the city, so that an enemy would be compelled, as soon as he had made an entrance, to divide his troops, for if he advanced with all his forces on either street he was exposed to a rear attack from the other. But we cannot enter into a further exposition of the mediaeval art of fortification.
Our view of Forchlieim (fig. 6), a town situated between Nuremberg and Bamberg, shows how strongly even small places were fortified. Its walls were constructed according to a newer system introduced in the six teenth century, and were supplied with stationary cannon, ?vhile the castle of the fifteenth century (fig. 3) was defended from wooden platforms, known as " murder-walks," which lined the entire battlements of the city and even the towers.