Ponttor

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ponttor with front gate
Ponttor, gate kennel with a view of the front gate
Maria as patron saint in the arch of the main gate, side of the kennel

The Ponttor in Aachen , at times (17th / 18th century) also called the bridge gate or gate , is the western of the two north gates of the former outer Aachen city wall . In addition to the Marschiertor in the south, the Ponttor is one of the two still preserved of the eleven city gates of the then free imperial city of Aachen. These were guarded by the free imperial city soldiers and their own city ​​militias . The Ponttor was built towards the beginning of the 14th century when new settlements and churches outside the old city ​​wall required a second city fortification. Today it is used as a home by the German Young Society Aachen and by scout groups of the German Boy Scout Association , the German Boy Scout Association Saint Georg and the German Boy Scout Association Mosaik .

nature

The Ponttor consists of a rectangular three-story gate castle . In the high main portal both are portcullis and a pitch eaves available. A bridge corridor with battlements (gate zwinger ), which at that time was located above the moat , is reinforced by a front gate with two towers ( barbican ). The building material consists of Upper Devonian Condroz sandstones , Upper Carboniferous coal sandstones and tertiary quartzites , the frames are mainly made of lighter bluestone .

Explanation of the name

It is true that Aachen is crossed by a large number of rivers and streams, but not near the Ponttor, although the name is reminiscent of the Latin pons "bridge". In fact, in Aachen the city districts were named first and then the streets. The name of the Ponttor comes from the fact that it is located in the Pontviertel. This neighborhood got its name from a bridge. At the time of the Romans , the city fortifications were located where the Annuntiatenbach, named after the former Annuntiatenkloster Aachen , is located today. At the point where you could leave the city in a northerly direction, there were extensive swamps that could be crossed by a bridge. The buildings later built in this area were then called Pontviertel because they were on the other side of the bridge, which explains the name of the gate.

  • City side (south)

  • Field side (north)

  • View from the east

  • Vorburg, view from the east

  • Wall approach in the southeast, view of the city side

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Ponttor  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Roland Walter: Aachen geo routes . Grenzecho-Verlag, Eupen 2011, ISBN 978-3-86712-058-6 , pp. 130-132.

Coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 53.5 "  N , 6 ° 4 ′ 42"  E