View source for Obermarsberg

[[File:Marsberg, Obermarsberg, Altes Rathaus, 2012-05 CN-01.jpg|thumb|Old Town Hall and [[Pranger]]]]

'''Obermarsberg''' is one of seventeen [[Quarter (country subdivision)|quarters]] in the municipality of [[Marsberg]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]].  It is situated on the site of an [[Old Saxon]] hillfort and [[refuge castle]], the [[Eresburg]], on a hill 130m above the [[Diemel]] river, a tributary of the [[River Weser]].

==History==
The location was originally the site of an [[Iron Age]] [[hillfort]], founded probably sometime before or during the era of the [[Roman-Germanic wars]]; including the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]] (circa AD 9) and the [[Battle of the Weser River]] (circa AD 16).  Although it is unclear whether the surrounding area was controlled by the [[Cherusci]], [[Chatti]], or perhaps [[Marsi (Germanic)|Marsi]] (as described by [[Tacitus]]), no particular reference to the Eresburg is known prior to the [[Saxon Wars]] (AD 770–785).

[[File:Marsberg, St. Nikolaus, 2012-05 CN-01.jpg|thumb|Nikolai Church]]

During the [[Saxon Wars]], the stronghold was repeatedly occupied by [[Widukind]], leader of the recalcitrant [[Saxons]] (those refusing to adopt [[Christianity]] and the overlordship of the [[Franks]]), and then abandoned to [[Charlemagne]]'s forces as the Saxons retreated to the home of Widukind's in-laws, today [[Denmark]].  Local lore states that as Charlemagne's forces approached, the town's common folk would move into the ''Drachenholler'', a vast system of underground [[gypsum]] [[cave]]s beneath Eresburg, where they remained unnoticed until Charlemagne's people left.  Though only a legend, the caves can still be seen, along with several watchtowers dated to the same time period (circa AD 800).

===Religion===
Very near Eresburg is [[Priesterberg]], a hill overlooking the valley of the Diemel.  This was reportedly the location of [[Pagan]] [[sacrifice|sacrificial]] [[Ritual|rite]]s in the pre-Christian era.  It is also thought to be the home of [[Irminsul]], a sacred tree or pillar which represented the [[Germanic paganism|Germanic]] central pillar of the world.  In AD 772, Charlemagne destroyed the Irminsul on Priesterberg (elsewhere reported as "near [[Paderborn]]" or "near Eresburg").  The Irminsul was replaced by a stone structure, possibly a tower, the crumbling remains of which can still be seen.

Around AD 800 the first Christian [[Church (building)|church]] was constructed in Eresburg proper.  Although the current church in Obermarsberg only dates to the 13th century, it is at least the second or third church to be built over the remains of [[Charlemagne]]'s original church.

==External links==
* [http://www.historischesobermarsberg.de/ Förderverein Historisches Obermarsberg e.V.] {{in lang|de}}

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[[Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia]]


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