Theodor Fontane published 'Five Castles' in 1889, explicitly not as a concluding volume of 'Wanderings through the Mark Brandenburg' - this designation only occurred after the author's death. In fact, 'Five Castles' differs in its conception from the other wanderings. Through the history of the castles Quitzöwel, Plaue, Hoppenrade, Liebenberg, and Dreilinden, Fontane unfolds a broad panorama of Brandenburg since the Middle Ages, where precise historical research combines with personal impressions and anecdotes to create a comprehensive portrayal of the Prussian heartland. In addition to the main text, the volume also includes an appendix to the chapter on Liebenberg, featuring letters from the officer Friedrich Leopold von Hertefeld about his experiences during the Napoleonic Wars between 1806 and 1813.