Photo: Landkreis Prignitz
Fragments of a medieval firearm discovered in Brandenburg may represent the oldest portable gunpowder weapon in Europe, according to a new analysis reported by Live Science.
What researchers found
The artifact is a six-centimeter bronze fragment, believed to be part of the barrel of an early firearm. Scientists estimate it dates to around 1390, which would make it nine years older than the famous Tannenberg handgonne from 1399, widely considered the earliest handheld firearm in Europe.
According to Christoph Krauskopf, head of the Brandenburg State Office for Heritage Management and the State Archaeological Museum, there had previously been no written or archaeological evidence of firearms being used in the region during that period.
How the discovery happened
The fragments were discovered in 2023 by volunteer conservator Matthias Dasse during fieldwork near Kletzke Castle. He passed them to monument preservation specialist Gordon Thalmann, who identified the bronze casting as part of an early firearm barrel.
Researchers nicknamed the artifact “Kletzke Handrohr” (“Kletzke hand cannon”).
Possible historical link
Scholars believe the weapon may be connected to the siege of Kletzke Castle in 1390, when the fortress became the center of a regional conflict in Brandenburg.
According to chronicles by the Franciscan monk Detmar of Lübeck, two dukes led an army of about 1,100 men against the castle, which belonged to the powerful von Quitzow family. The defenders ultimately repelled the attack.
If scientists confirm the connection between the siege and the weapon, the “Kletzke hand cannon” would become rare physical evidence of early gunpowder weapons used in late medieval warfare.
Researchers also note that the firearm was likely not produced locally — it may have been brought to the region by the attacking forces.
