Early castles were often raised on the frameworks of former wood and earth fortifications (the best example of which can be found in Torun) and therefore had an irregular shape. Later buildings had more and more compact and ordered plans, most often rectangular or square. A typical complex consisted of a castle, usually a multi-storey one, and an outer bailey. An addition was the main tower, usually raised in the courtyard and often only in the next stage of construction. The castles were primarily the site of a garrison that could wage a maneuver war in the field, not a point of resistance intended for long-term defense. Nevertheless, each part of the castle served defensive functions. The outer walls had narrow loopholes instead of windows, the only exception were the rooms of the chapel, chapter house, and refectory with gothic windows in the wall facing the bailey.
Outside the building, under the roof, there was a porch (hoarding), which also had a defensive function. From here you could shoot the enemy with arrows and stones, pour boiling water or hot tar. At the corners of the building, there were defensive towers (sometimes only one), sometimes standing separately right next to the defensive walls.
A defensive role was also played by the dansker, which extended beyond the wall system and served as combat bridgeheads flanking the main line of defense. The Zwinger and the moat, and even the outer bailey, which were the first obstacle in the attack on the main castle, also had corresponding importance. Teutonic castles also had specific monastic functions of a communal character. Collective prayers, joint work, and meals as well as the convent’s night rest required appropriate rooms.