Kölntor

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the city gate of the same name in Düren, see Kölntor (Düren)

Cologne Gate in 1790

The Kölntor , which is also referred to in literature as Cölnthor , Neutor or Neu-Cölnerthor , was a former city ​​gate of Aachen . It was part of the outer city ​​wall built between 1257 and 1357 and was located in the east of the urban area. The Kölntor no longer exists today.

General

The city gate was considered the most imposing city gate in Aachen. This double gate tower is often referred to as one of the most beautiful gates in Europe.

The Kölntor was separated from the Sandkaultor by the defense towers Schänzchen and Heinzenturm and by the water tower and the Adalbertsturm from the Adalbertstor within the city wall .

history

Its name comes from the fact that travelers from the direction of Cologne entered the city through this gate. There was a direct connection to the Hahnentorburg in Cologne . The kings crowned in Aachen left the city through the Kölntor to enter the city of Cologne through the Hahnentorburg.

The Kölntor was completed around 1320 and partially demolished by the French in 1807 and then completely demolished in Prussian times. Today only the name of a restaurant on Hansemannplatz in the area around the former gate and a plastic representation on the house at Heinrichsallee 72 remind of the earlier building.

architecture

The passage through the Kölntor, which was provided with a ridge turret, was bordered by two round towers crowned with weather vanes . The gate commandant's guard room, comfortably furnished with wall cupboards and open chimneys, was located in the central building.

The Kölntor had a front gate with two hexagonal turrets, also provided with weather vanes. Both had pointed roofs.

See also

• Individual structures of the Aachen city wall

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hahnentorburg ( Memento of the original from February 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Faucet arch is being renovated

literature

• Bruno Lerho: The great Aachen city wall with gates and towers . Helios Verlag, Aachen 2006, ISBN 3-938208-37-6 .
• Carl Rhoen : The fortifications of the free imperial city of Aachen . Anton Creutzer, Aachen 1894, urn : nbn: de: hbz: 061: 1-230540 ( ISL Aachen [PDF; accessed on May 7, 2016]).

Coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 41.1 ″  N , 6 ° 5 ′ 35.5 ″  E