The excavations in Tengshausen are continuing!

A mini excavator is being used to remove the topsoil during the excavations in Tengshausen (photo: T. Becker, NIhK).

Foundation walls were discovered and uncovered on only the third day of the excavations in Tengshausen (photo: T. Becker, NIhK).

Since spring 2025, a medieval fortification has been the focus of NIhK research. It was discovered in 2022 as part of a research project on late medieval and early modern fortifications near Tengshausen, Friesland district. Although there are hardly any traces of the former buildings above ground, geomagnetic measurements have shown that well-preserved remains of masonry and the moat are still intact in the ground. In order to explore these, the German Research Foundation (DFG) provided funding to medieval and modern archaeologist Dr Stefan Krabath, which now is used to partially uncover the foundation walls and moats of the complex. The project started in June 2025, when 22 volunteers, under expert guidance, carried out numerous drillings and recovered archaeological finds as part of a seminar organised by the Jugendbauhütte Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony Youth Building Workshop) on the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ). Since 1 September 2025, this research continued with the aim of uncovering further information about the castle's design, date and infrastructural connections. To this end, students from the Universities of Tübingen and Heidelberg have come to Tengshausen on the North Sea coast, where they will now work under the guidance of Thorsten Becker and Jens Lühmann to remove layer after layer over the coming weeks.