ALetzi (plural:Letzinen, also known inGerman as aTalsperre in the sense of a fortification, not a dam[1]) orLetzimauer refers todefensive barriers whose purpose is to protect the entrance into avalley. The term is Swiss, and such stone barriers were particularly common in medievalSwitzerland but were also built inAustria andGermany.
hill castles on the valley sides or on heights either side of the valley
defensive walls, often in combination with otherbastions, running transversely across the valley in order to seal it completely. Because these parts of the position were typically unable to use the advantage of height, they had some of the character oflowland castles.
Because they had a combination of elements of hill and lowland castles,letzis did not fall neatly into either category.
The walls were often several kilometres long, for example inRothenthurm SZ, and were often combined withditches.[2][3][4]
Such defensive valley barriers were still being built in the 19th century, for example theForte della Chiusa andBuco di Vela.
Researchers have not been united in all respects about whether these fortifications actually served as protective lines of defence or whether, in most cases, they were just intended as border marcations and defence against cattle thieves.[3]
What is certain is theLetzis were used to force merchants to adhere to specified routes (Straßenzwang) and thus to enable the collection of customs duties (Wegzoll) and money to pay for the maintenance of the roads.[5]
The Swiss German word,Letzi, comes from theMiddle High German "letze", i. e. a barrier, obstacle, defensive wall or border fortification.[9] Even today manytoponyms include the wordsLetzinen,Letzimauern orLetzitürme. Remains of such defensive fortifications may still be seen in many places today.
^Jakob Obrecht (2000), Historischer Verein des Kantons Schwyz (ed.), "Archäologische Sondiergrabungen an der Letzimauer Rothenthurm, 1999",Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz (in German), vol. Band 92, pp. 11–32
^Matthias Dürst."Der Letzigraben".Gang dur Alt-Züri (in German). Retrieved2012-07-16.
^Thomas Kühtreiber (2012), Kornelia Holzner-Tobisch; Thomas Kühtreiber; Gertrud Blaschitz (eds.),"Straße und Burg. Anmerkungen zu einem vielschichtigen Verhältnis",Die Vielschichtigkeit der Straße. Kontinuität und Wandel in Mittelalter und früher Neuzeit, Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit (in German), vol. 22, Wien, pp. 263–301
