The Hohensyburg, also known as Syburg, is a fascinating historical site in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, perched on the Syberg above the confluence of the Ruhr and Lenne. The castle was built around 1100 and served as an important fortress during the Middle Ages. Over the centuries it changed hands several times until it was finally abandoned in the 16th or 17th century. Today, two keeps of the original complex, living quarters, the curtain wall and the walls around the courtyard complex are still visible.
Next to the castle ruins there is a war memorial that was designed around 1930 by the sculptor Friedrich Bagdons. It commemorates the fallen soldiers of the First World War and shows a lying soldier guarded by an eagle. There are also three memorial plaques in the immediate vicinity that commemorate the war victims of the Franco-Prussian War and the First and Second World Wars.
Another notable monument on the Syberg is the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, which was built in memory of Kaiser Wilhelm I. The monument, originally built between 1893 and 1902, was rebuilt in 1935 in the style of National Socialist architecture. The statues of Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke are still preserved today.
The Hohensyburg was also an important cultural and religious place. This is how Pope Leo III is said to be. In 799, a St. Peter's fountain was consecrated on the Syburg, which may have represented a Christianized earlier source shrine. This well, together with other archaeological finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Age, testifies to the long history of settlement in this area.
For visitors, the Hohensyburg offers a unique combination of historical significance, cultural heritage and natural beauty. The ruins and monuments invite you to explore and offer an insight into the region's eventful history. The Hohensyburg is not only a testament to the past, but also a popular excursion destination that has a lot to offer history buffs and nature lovers alike.