Maiden tower

Maiden Tower, 2018

City side

The Mägdeturm ( Estonian Neitsitorn or Megede torn ) is a defense tower of the Reval city fortifications in the Estonian capital Tallinn (Reval).

location

It stands on the southwest side of Reval's old town at Sieversschen Garten , Kurzer Domberg 9 a (Estonian Lühike jalg 9 a ). Neighboring defense towers are the Kiek in de Kök tower in the south and the Marstall tower in the north. The wall of the historic city fortifications is directly adjacent to the tower.

Architecture and history

The Mägdeturm, built on a trapezoidal floor plan, was built between 1370 and 1373; the first documentary mention comes from 1373. In 1461/62 it was increased. He also received a new, covered parapet with loopholes , which was also suitable for larger firearms such as arquebuses thanks to a crossbar in the lower part . In the Middle Ages it is said to have served as a prison for women, especially prostitutes . Other traditions say that young women who refused to marry the bridegroom chosen by their parents were imprisoned here. In fact, the name goes back to the tower captain Hinse Meghe , so that the original name was Megheturm and later changed to Mägdeturm .

The tower was badly damaged during the Livonian War . Although it was repaired later and rebuilt repeatedly, it was no longer of military importance due to the changed weapon technology. Between 1842 and 1960 the tower was used for residential purposes. The front on its northeast side had large windows, resulting in a large bright room inside. After the Second World War , the well-known Estonian architect Karl Burman lived in the Mägdeturm for almost twenty years. In 1968 the tower was reconstructed. Café Neitsitorn opened in the Mägdeturm on December 31, 1980, but closed again in the early 1990s. In the 21st century a museum and another café were opened in the Mägdeturm. There is an exhibition in a vaulted cellar.

According to legend, ghosts are said to haunt the tower, other sources assign this to the neighboring Marstallturm.

literature

• Valeri Sepp: Tallinn history of an unusual city . Felistella, Estonia 2013, ISBN 978-9949-9264-8-0 , p. 34 f.

Web links

Commons : Mägdeturm  - collection of images

• Neitsitorn (Maiden's Tower), museum at www.visitestonia.com
• Neitsitorn (The Maiden Tower ) on www.visittallinn.ee
• Website of the Maiden Tower (Estonian)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Valeri Sepp, Tallinn History of an Unusual City , Felistella, Estonia 2013, ISBN 978-9949-9264-8-0 , p. 35
2. ↑ Neitsitorn (Maiden Tower), Museum of www.visitestonia.com
3. ^ Sophie Dehio, Reval once and now , Verlag von Franz Kluge, Reval 1910, p. 89
4. ↑ Valeri Sepp, Tallinn History of an Unusual City , Felistella, Estonia 2013, ISBN 978-9949-9264-8-0 , p. 35
5. ^ Sophie Dehio, Reval once and now , Verlag von Franz Kluge, Reval 1910, p. 89

Coordinates: 59 ° 26 ′ 6.5 ″  N , 24 ° 44 ′ 27.5 ″  E