Powder Tower (Zofingen)
The Zofingen Powder Tower is now a free-standing tower of the former city wall of the city of Zofingen in the Swiss canton of Aargau . It was built as a bulwark with an almost square floor plan.
history
middle Ages
The tower was built between 1361 and 1363 by the Counts of Habsburg under Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. It served as the cornerstone of Zofingen's city wall and as a powder, weapons and torture chamber. The Powder Tower was one of six main towers until it was demolished in the 19th century, including the Water Tower , the Mint Tower and the Torture Tower . There are only a few written records about the history of the tower, as many documents were lost in city fires.
Todays use
At the end of the 19th century, the bottom floor was rented as an ice cellar, the upper floors remained unused due to rotten stairs and served as shelter for pigeons and bats. In 1948 the artillery club Zofingen and the surrounding area rented the tower and had to take on certain maintenance obligations. First there was an exterior and roof renovation, followed by an interior renovation that lasted until 1951.
After a second expansion phase from 1977 to 1978, another exterior renovation took place from 1980 to 1981. In 2001 the kitchen and toilet facilities were renewed. Today the Powder Tower with the Pulverturmstube is one of the most important cultural assets of the city of Zofingen. The Pulverturmstube can be rented for events with a tower warden present at the Zofingen Artillery Association and offers space for 30 people.
Web links
- Zofingen powder tower on pulverturm-zofingen.ch
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 47 ° 17 '14.9 " N , 7 ° 56' 53.3" E ; CH1903: 638544 / 237523