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A slighting is the deliberate destruction of a fortification without opposition from its builders or its last users, respectively.
Many European castles or forts were slighted in the Middle Ages by victorious besieging armies. Some were also destroyed by the owners themselves when they were abandoned to avoid that the intact fortifications could be used by potential enemies. The fortifications of many European cities were slighted in the 19th century because they no longer were effective defense structures and were obstacles to urban expansion.
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