Certainly "modern wars" have damaged and destroyed many wonderful old structures, and clearly some of the "repairs" stand out as what they are. However, it's very common with the castles and buildings we feature herein to find those that have undergone changes unrelated to that sort of damage. At the Zitadelel at Spandau in Berlin the Juliustürm has several different "layers" of construction as subsequent rulers added to the overall height, and throughout the castles I have personally seen, there are often windows and openings that have been bricked up or closed, usually due to changes in usage. I recall one in Goslar where a doorway was replaced with a buttress, clearly a decision by the original architect that the structure was unstable and needed more help.
While it may not always be clear, some of these were "voluntary changes" or additions while others are due to damage from sieges, assaults, or the byproducts of wars in general. Even in places like Masada there is evidence of subsequent "rebuilding" to make something stronger, better, or simply different. Often those changes are visible simply because construction techniques changed over the years. The original "rubble masonry" walls are topped with dressed stones, and then topped again with brick. Window arches remain, with the openings filled with clearly different materials and methods.
All of those things reflect history...good or bad. On the other hand, it is distressing to see these buildings and monuments being intentionally destroyed because some believe that "pagan history" or whatever should be erased...the sorts of things we saw in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East. There are enough problems with historic buildings without intentionally destroying them, at least in my opinion.
While it may not always be clear, some of these were "voluntary changes" or additions while others are due to damage from sieges, assaults, or the byproducts of wars in general. Even in places like Masada there is evidence of subsequent "rebuilding" to make something stronger, better, or simply different. Often those changes are visible simply because construction techniques changed over the years. The original "rubble masonry" walls are topped with dressed stones, and then topped again with brick. Window arches remain, with the openings filled with clearly different materials and methods.
All of those things reflect history...good or bad. On the other hand, it is distressing to see these buildings and monuments being intentionally destroyed because some believe that "pagan history" or whatever should be erased...the sorts of things we saw in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East. There are enough problems with historic buildings without intentionally destroying them, at least in my opinion.
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