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Seddin, Freyenstein and Wittstock. Research, presentation and sustainable site management in Northern Brandenburg

Franz Schopper

Cite this as: Schopper, F. 2020 Seddin, Freyenstein and Wittstock. Research, presentation and sustainable site management in Northern Brandenburg, Internet Archaeology 54. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.54.5

Summary

Brandenburg State Authorities for Heritage Management and State Museum of Archaeology, together with local authorities, developed a project, to integrate various important archaeological sites into a shared cultural tourism concept – thus the Prignitz Archaeological Route was formed. This article highlights three of the seven sites that are included in the project: the Bronze Age grave mound from 800 BCE at Seddin, the abandoned town of the 12th and 13th century in Freyenstein and the battlefield from 1636 near Wittstock. Each place had to apply three main approaches: heritage management, research and tourism development.

Aerial photograph of Freyenstein. Foreground 'Old Town', background 'New Town'. Image: J. Wacker, BLDAM
Aerial photograph of Freyenstein. Foreground 'Old Town', background 'New Town'. Image: J. Wacker, BLDAM
  • Google Scholar
  • Keywords: archaeology, Brandenburg, tourist route, Bronze Age, abandoned medieval town, 17th-century battlefield
  • Accepted: 1 November 2019. Published: 28 February 2020
  • The publication of this article is funded by the European Archaeological Council.
Full text

Figure 1: Map showing location of Brandenburg and Prignitz. Image: F. Schopper/C. Krauskopf, BLDAM

Figure 2: Tourist Route 'Zeitschätze Prignitz – ZAO'. Image: F. Schopper/C. Krauskopf, BLDAM

Figure 3: Three approaches to the sites. Image: F. Schopper, BLDAM

Figure 4: King's Grave of Seddin. Image: D. Sommer, BLDAM

Figure 5: Finds from the King's Grave of Seddin. Image: D. Sommer, BLDAM

Figure 6: Stone chamber with plastered wall and corbelled roof. Drawing by Dr Jung, 1900 (Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin)

Figure 7: Eminent persons and archaeologists from Berlin visit the find spot in 1899 (Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin)

Figure 8: A selection of activities on the site of Seddin. Image: F. Schopper/C. Krauskopf, BLDAM

Figure 9: Map of the 'Schwedenschanze' from Horst. Image: Th. Hauptmann

Figure 10: Map of the archaeological reservation 'settlement area and ritual landscape of the King's grave of Seddin'. Image: BLDAM

Figure 11: Aerial photograph of Freyenstein. Foreground 'Old Town', background 'New Town'. Image: J. Wacker, BLDAM

Figure 12: Drinking vessels, jugs and jar from a medieval stone cellar in Freyenstein. Image: D. Sommer, BLDAM

Figure 13: Map of the Old Town according to geophysical examination (from Schenk 2009)

Figure 14: Steel children playing in the streets. Image: BLDAM

Figure 15: The new town gate with its view-point platform. Image: C. Krauskopf, BLDAM

Figure 16: Buried in file. Mass grave of 1636 near Wittstock. Image: A. Grothe, BLDAM

Figure 17: Exhibition about the battle of 1636 near Wittstock in the State Museum of Archaeology, Brandenburg City. Image: D. Sommer, BLDAM

Figure 18: Re-enactment during the exhibition in the State Museum of Archaeology. Image: C. Krauskopf, BLDAM

Figure 19: Spin-off exhibition on the battlefield site near Wittstock located in an old water reservoir. Image: BLDAM

Figure 20: Information platform on the battlefield site. Image: BLDAM

Eickhoff, S. and Schopper, F. 2014 Schlachtfeld und Massengrab. Spektren interdisziolinärer Auswertung von Orten der Gewalt, Forschungen zur Archäologie im Land Brandenburg 15, Wünsdorf.

Eickhoff, S., Schopper, F. and Junklaus, B. 2013 1636 - ihre letzte Schlacht. Leben im Dreißigjährigen Krieg, Theiss in Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft: Wünsdorf.

Hansen, S. and Schopper, F. (eds) 2018 Der Grabhügel von Seddin im nordischen und südskandinavischen Kontext, Arbeitsberichte zur Bodendenkmalpflege in Brandenburg 33, Wünsdorf.

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Kunow, J.(ed) 2003 Das 'Königsgrab' von Seddin in der Prignitz. Kolloquium anlässlich des 100. Jahrestages seiner Freilegung am 12. Oktober 1999, Arbeitsberichte zur Bodendenkmalpflege in Brandenburg 9, Wünsdorf.

May, J. 2003 'Nachtrag: Das 'Königsgrab' von Seddin im Spannungsfeld archäologischer Forschung, touristischer Erschließung und wirtschaftlicher Nutzung' in J. Kunow (ed) Das 'Königsgrab' von Seddin in der Prignitz. Kolloquium anlässlich des 100. Jahrestages seiner Freilegung am 12. Oktober 1999, Arbeitsberichte zur Bodendenkmalpflege in Brandenburg 9, Wünsdorf. 79-81.

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Pastenaci, K. 1935 Das Königsgrab von Seddin, Stuttgart Thienemanns.

Schenk, T. 2009 Die "Altstadt" von Freyenstein, Lkr. Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Materialien zur Archäologie in Brandenburg 2, Rahden/Westf.: Leidorf.

Schlütter, A. and May, J. 2018 'Der Lahmputz aus dem 'Königsgrab' Seddin - materialkundliche Untersuchungen', Veröffentlichungen zur brandenburgischen Landesarchäologie 48, 87-95.

Schopper, F. 2000 'Bericht über das Kolloquium anläßlich des 100. Jahrestages der Freilegung des sogenannten Königsgrabes von Seddin, Lkr. Prignitz, am 12. Oktober 1999 in Wünsdorf', Archäologisches Nachrichtenblatt 5, 429-31.

Wüstemann, H. 1974 'Zur Sozialstruktur im Seddiner Kulturgebiet', Zeitschrift für Archäologie 8, 67-107.

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