The fortress of Leerort and the Dieler Schanze were important Early Modern fortifications in
the county of East Frisia and bear witness to the political and social balance of power in the
region. However they also reflect the conflicts that the young county had with outside
parties. While the historical context of both fortresses has already been outlined several
times archaeological excavations have only recently taken place. As part of the INTERREG
IVa-funded project "Grenzland Festungsland" the "Ostfriesische Landschaft" association of
municipalities investigated both fortifications in 2010-13. The study of historical sources
extensive geophysical prospection a LiDAR survey targeted minimally invasive excavations and
the evaluation of finds have shed new light on the fortifications. They provide information
about the fortress system siege techniques social hierarchies within the stationed troops and
about the razing of the fortifications to the ground after their abandonment as military
strongholds. This volume sheds light on these individual aspects and makes the findings and
rich artefacts available for further research.
