Mohosvár

In the 11-12th centuries castles were still mainly built by Kings. However in the 13th century, the feudal land owning class got stronger, who also started to erect castles in defense of their property and families. King Béla IV especially supported these endeavours, so the country could be better defended in the event of a new Mongol invasion. At the end of the 13th century the squatter barons gathered such power especially owing to these castles, that were impossible to besiege with the equipment of the period, that they could even confront the King himself successfully. A typical example of these castles is Mohosvár in Northern Hungary. The castle was built by the Gut-Keled family on top of a hardly approachable mountain top after the Mongol invasion. The small fortress was enclosed by an oval stone wall fortified by square shaped stone tower. In the middle of the castle yard a tall circular tower rose. Along the walls wooden houses and workshops stood. The castle was defended by a palisade as well as a dry moat. After the downfall of the oligarchs in the beginning of the 14th century, the castle was besieged and destroyed. Its ruins were used for a short time later in the middle of the 15th century by the hussites and also by a robber knight as a thieves’ den.