▁valley . ▁As ▁a ▁rule , ▁the ▁r amp arts ▁were ▁made ▁from ▁the ▁exc av ation ▁of ▁the ▁d itch es . ▁ ▁Watch t ow ers , ▁sch anzen , ▁ab atis ▁and ▁has p els ▁at ▁the ▁check points ▁where ▁roads ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁land wehr ▁ ▁A ▁" w et ▁border " ▁created ▁by ▁flo oding ▁and ▁water ▁d itch es ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁time ▁after ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁colon isation ▁of ▁Central ▁Europe ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁Late ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁fixed ▁so ver eign ▁territ ories ▁ruled ▁by ▁l ords ▁and ▁princes ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁territorial ▁land wehr s ▁which ▁en closed ▁the ▁land ▁which ▁was ▁leg ally ▁held ▁by ▁states ▁and ▁settlement s . ▁The ▁territ ories ▁of ▁Ga ue , ▁count ies ▁( Z enten ), ▁regional ▁mag istra cies ▁( o ften ▁cot erm in ous ▁with ▁church ▁par ishes ), ▁Ä m ter ▁and ▁even ▁entire ▁states ▁were ▁en closed ▁by ▁land wehr s ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁def ensive ▁h ed ges . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁Land hagen ▁and ▁Stad th agen , ▁which ▁were ▁arranged ▁in ▁a ▁circular ▁shape ▁around ▁smaller ▁settlement s . ▁The ▁Land he gen ▁border ed ▁and ▁protected ▁entire ▁regions ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁areas ▁surrounding ▁towns ▁and ▁cities , ▁for ▁example ▁the ▁almost ▁ 7 0 - kil omet re - long ▁A achen ▁Land gra ben ▁the ▁former ▁A ach ener ▁Reich , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁ones ▁in ▁Frankfurt