Gray Tower (Fritzlar)
The gray tower is part of the fortification of the city wall of Fritzlar in northern Hesse. It stands on the northwest side of the largely preserved city wall, on which a piece of the former wall crown with battlement was restored here in the 1980s .
history
The tower was built by the city lords of Kurmainz after Fritzlar was destroyed by the Hessian troops of the Landgrave and was first mentioned in 1274 as "turris magna" (large tower). It was financed by St. Peters Stift . In the next century it was also used as a signal tower, with the crews erected within the city wait was connected. Extensive restorations were necessary, especially at the end of the 19th century.
Building
The fortified tower with its horseshoe-shaped plan protruding from the city wall is one of the largest preserved city wall towers in Germany. On its city-side, straight inside, it is 10.5 meters wide and 38 meters high.
The interior of the tower now has four floors. The lower floor functioned as a dungeon in the Middle Ages and for a long time was only accessible through a hatch from the second floor. In 1541 the dungeon was made accessible through a door to the city. On the second floor, accessible via an outside staircase, there are various instruments of torture , next to the " fear hole " down into the dungeon. On the third floor, the destruction of the city of Fritzlar in 1232 is documented in a museum based on Wigand Gerstenberg's records with a city model and large-format drawings by Rolf Henn . On the fourth floor Bonifatius' missionary work in the region is shown.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ "Gray Tower" in Fritzlar. In: kudaba, the culture database
- ↑ a b Gray Tower. In: fritzlar.de
Coordinates: 51 ° 7 ′ 54.8 ″ N , 9 ° 16 ′ 10.2 ″ E