Defensionskaserne

Defensionskaserne rises on Petersberg in Erfurt as the hill’s largest building and a protected former military barracks. Built between 1828 and 1831, the structure formed part of Prussia’s fortress system after the monastery citadel became a military installation. Its city-facing side has two storeys, while the field-facing side has three, creating a powerful presence above the town. More than two-metre-thick walls reinforce the building, with even heavier masonry at the gables.

Three large round-arched portals mark the monumental Prussian Classical façade and lead into a building measuring about 167 metres long. Thick cross walls divided the interior into sections, which palisades could isolate during an assault. Designed as an artillery position, the barracks restricted northern views towards the upper plateau and divided the fortress into two sections. A neo-Baroque mansard roof arrived before the First World War, raising capacity from about 500 to 750 soldiers. Later uses included storage, housing, police quarters and military accommodation, while the Second World War brought a transit and registration camp for displaced people. Restoration followed German reunification, and proposed future uses include creative industries, gastronomy, culture and media.