Königstor (Aachen)

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Pfaffenturm , Königstor and Langer Turm , woodcut by Karl Josef Gollrad .

The Königstor was a city ​​gate of the outer city wall of the city of Aachen, which was built between 1300 and 1350 . It is no longer preserved.

location

The Königstor stood in the outer ring of the wall between Junkerstor and Ponttor , roughly at the crossing Königstrasse / Junkerstrasse. Between the Königstor and Junkerstor there was only the Pfaffenturm , between Königstor and Ponttor the six towers Langer Turm , Burtscheider Turm , Beguinenturm , Gregoriusturm , Bongartsturm and Krückenturm . Directly next to the Königstor in the direction of the Langer Turm stood one of the guard houses of the Aachen city wall , between the Königstor and Pfaffenturm was the only oriel of the Aachen city wall known by name , the wall louse .

history

The Königstor was first mentioned in a document in 1320. The main route into Maastricht , which is economically important for Aachen , initially led through this gate. Since kings from Maastricht also entered the city on this route, the street and gate were given their names. Transports of prisoners also left the city through this gate, as the execution site was nearby. In addition, the way to the leprosy station in Gut Melaten led through this gate.

Gradually, however, the gate lost its importance and the route to Maastricht then passed through the Junkerstor. The city council decided in 1686 that the King's Gate should remain closed. Only during the harvest time was the gate kept open to make things easier for the farmers.

During the French occupation of Aachen, the King's Gate was the train of grinding demolished the Aachen city fortifications. 1807 Thirty years later, the Königstor customs house was built by Adam Franz Friedrich Leydel on this site .

description

There is no description of the King's Gate, on old cityscapes it is shown as a square gate with a hipped roof , like the Pont Gate . Two weather vanes crowned the roof ridge. The front gate also had a rectangular floor plan.

literature

See also

Web links

Coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 30.1 ″  N , 6 ° 4 ′ 22.3 ″  E