The 'Hunnenring' near Otzenhausen

The name "Hunnenring" was falsely given to the ring wall on Dollberg (620 m) near Otzenhausen, which was actually constructed by the Celts of the Latène Age (500 to 20 BC). The walled area had the remarkable length of 1,360 meters for the main wall and a further 850 meters for the wall in front. More than 200,000 cubic meters of quarry stone were worked into the grounds, which, with dimensions of 647 m by 460 m, comprises an area of almost 19 hectares. The dimensions are truly impressive: to the north the main wall is still 10 meters high with a base 40 meters thick. One must remember that the quarry stones were once held together between a framework of timber poles creating vertical walls that protected this urban settlement (Roman "Oppidum") of Treverians from invaders. It is estimated that the northern wall was 25 m tall. The entrance was through the 6 m wide west door, which was divided by a central post into two identically sized entryways and was apparently covered by a well-fortified wooden structure. In addition, protective walls on either side aided the defense.

The grounds with the ring wall, still formidable in their dimensions, were constructed in the first century BC, that is in the late Latène Age. There was probably a pre-existing fortress on the same location during the early Latène Age (fifth century BC). Proof of this is in the richly equipped princely tombs from this era, which were discovered in 1848 in Schwarzenbach, a village at the foot of Dollberg. In fact, princely tombs and graves from the early Latène Age were always within view of "their" fortress. The construction of these extensive grounds and the engineering of a simply designed rampart in front of the main ring wall allows us to imagine a steadily growing, fortified settlement where people in the surroundings could bring their livestock to safety in times of crisis. The well used for water supply still exists today in the inner area. It gave enough water to assure that even longer sieges could be withstood. There is also evidence of a storehouse.

It is assumed that the fortress on Dollberg was the ancestral seat of an ancient Celtic dynasty and was probably the center of power for the Treverians in this region. We are told in Julius Caesar's accounts of the "Gallic Wars" that it was the Celtic prince Indutiomarus who, in the year 80 BC, began building the fortress area on Dollberg. This was originally planned as protection from the Germanic tribes (Cimbri, Teutons, Suebs and Alemanni), but soon became the virtual center of resistance to the Romans in a coalition with two other tribes of Treverians (the Latin name "Treverians" arose from this threefold coalition, "tre" meaning three). The battles with Caesar ended with the defeat of the Celts and the death of Indutiomarus in the year 54 BC. That same year, the family of Indutiomarus left the fortress on Dollberg. Afterwards, the fortress remained uninhabited and gradually grew dilapidated. A small, solitary temple from the 2nd century BC leads one to assume that Dollberg was also used in Roman times as a shrine, but one without any great significance.

Similar places, but of much smaller dimensions, can be found at the Ringkopf, at the Alteburg, and at the Wildenburger Kopf near Kempfeld.

For further information: Manfred Peter, Das vergessene Erbe; Hochwälder Hefte zur Heimatgeschichte Heft 41, 2002; und Robert Schuler und Alois Drocur, Hochwald —Landschaft und Geschichte; Verlag "Die Mitte" Saarbrücken, 1992