From a strategic point of view the mighty Dömitz fortress could hardly have been built in a better location: It protected the south-western border of Mecklenburg and the Elbe crossings. Furthermore, duties could be levied on the Elbe.
The pentagon-shaped Renaissance fortress was erected between 1559 und 1565 under Duke Johann Albrecht I. The architect was Francesco a Bornau, an Italian. From the 18th century on, the fortress served as a prison. The most famous prisoner was the Mecklenburg author Fritz Reuter, who had to spend some years here in the 19th century.
The Dömitz Fortress survived the centuries without appreciable destruction. In the year 1975 it was declared a protected monument.
Today many parts of the fortress are accessible to visitors. From the ramparts you can overlook the entire complex. In the casemates you can imagine how the prisoners in the fortress felt. The exhibitions in the gun powder magazine and in the commander’s house tell about the history of the fortress and the town of Dömitz.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.