How did medieval castles in Germany defend themselves? And why were they built the way they were? This video takes us through a castle like those we often see in films.

In the Middle Ages, people were resourceful when it came to battles. A group of scholars has worked to recreate medieval explosives and weaponry at Coburg Fortress in Upper Franconia.

In southwest Germany, about ninety percent of the medieval population were serfs. They cultivated fields and lands that they had been given by their lords. In return, the peasants had to provide the nobility and their entourage with food and labor.