Ferry gate tower
The ferry gate tower (also Hagelturm or Natermannturm ) is a former defense tower in Hann. Münden in southern Lower Saxony . The 40 meter high tower belonged to the medieval city fortifications of Münden and was built as a wall tower of the city wall . In the 19th century, the building was increased and used as a scrap tower. The listed tower now houses the Museum of Labor.
description
The ferry gate tower is located in the southwest corner of the medieval town center. In this area, the city wall coming from the north turned to the east at approximately a right angle. The next tower of the city fortifications is the brick gate tower located about 75 meters to the east . The Siebenturm, which was 80 meters further north at the level of Siebenturmstrasse, no longer exists.
The tower was first mentioned in a document in 1410, and the name-giving ferry gate was mentioned as a gate in the city wall as early as 1383. The name of the ferry gate is based on the fact that a path led from it to a ferry across the Fulda . Originally the tower, like the other towers of the city wall, was about 26 meters high.
After the demolition of the city fortifications at the beginning of the 19th century, the tower was converted into a scrap tower . In 1848 the entrepreneur Carl Georg August Natermann ( Haendler & Natermann ) bought the tower and had it raised by a third so that it is 40 meters high today. This measure was necessary in order to be able to produce shotgun pellets. For this purpose, a casting room was set up on the top floor, from which liquid, hot lead was poured through a sieve and, if it fell from a great height, round (shot) balls formed. The tower got its colloquial name Hagelturm through its use as a scrap tower . The Hampesche Tower , a few hundred meters away, was used in a similar way in the 19th century. This process has not been used since around 1975 or 1980 and the ferry gate tower was built in 1983 by the city of Hann. Münden bought back.
Todays use
The Museum of Labor, which documents the production process of the shotgun pellets, has been located in the tower and an outbuilding since 2000 . You can see historical machines from this time as well as products from Haendler & Natermann. The spire has served as a viewing platform since 2008 . At Christmas time the tower is illuminated in red and gets a yellow flame on the top of the tower, which gives the impression of a candle.
In October 2015, the tower had to be closed to the public due to the infestation by straw flies , which was still there in spring 2016 despite the pest control.
See also
literature
- Johann Dietrich Pezold: The old fortifications of the city in: History on the three rivers. A glimpse into the past of the city of Hann. Münden on Werra, Fulda and Weser , Hann. Münden, 2001, pp. 16-20
- Johann Dietrich Pezold: Lead shot from the “hail tower” in: History on the three rivers. A glimpse into the past of the city of Hann. Münden on Werra, Fulda and Weser , Hann. Münden, 2003, pp. 61-62
Web links
- Lukas Breitenbach: Natermann Tower in Hann. Münden: From armory to observation tower in: Göttinger Tageblatt from April 13, 2011
Individual evidence
- ↑ Monument topography of the Federal Republic of Germany . Architectural monuments in Lower Saxony, district of Göttingen, part 1, volume 5.2, 1993, editors Urs Boeck , Peter F. Lufen and Walter Wulf, CW Niemeyer Buchverlage , Hameln, ISBN 3-87585-251-6 , p. 130.
- ↑ Sunday, September 11, 2005 (Open Monument Day) (pdf)
- ↑ a b Wiki-Göttingen: Fährepfortenturm , version from April 30, 2013, last accessed: June 30, 2014.
- ↑ Marco Schulze: Plague of flies in the tower: Museum must close ( memento from October 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) at NDR.de from October 22, 2015
- ↑ Straw flies take hailstorms - again on NDR.de on April 27, 2016
Coordinates: 51 ° 24 ′ 53.9 " N , 9 ° 38 ′ 56.1" E