The Schwedenschanze was built during the
Thirty Years' War in 1632/1633 and is the oldest
schanze on the top of the pass at the Zuflucht. It consisted of a square with bulwarks at the corners and was designed for a crew of 400 to 500 men. It was supposed to secure the Oppenauer Steige from above, but it was unfavorably laid out because the opponent could approach the hill unseen due to the surrounding forests and hilly terrain. The Württemberg field camp in front of the Refuge Hotel, which would later be known as the Schwedenschanze, has its origins in 1593 at the time of the
Strasbourg Bishops' War. The
Duke of Württemberg had the western border of his country guarded by a permanent
garrison stationed in the field camp. Many references in old maps and sources suggest that this encampment was in the same place as the Schwedenschanze. == See also ==