Historische Wassertürme

Historische Wassertürme form part of Augsburg’s old waterworks at the Rotes Tor. Between the fortifications and the Holy Spirit Hospital, you see towers beside medieval walls, green ramparts and the Augsburger Puppenkiste. The Great Water Tower rises seven storeys beside the former city defences.

The Great Water Tower began in 1414 and is regarded as Germany’s oldest water tower. Originally built from wood, it later gained stone walls and a higher structure. Waterwheel-driven piston pumps lifted spring water into the towers, where wooden and later metal pipes carried it onwards. This system supplied Augsburg with drinking water from the fifteenth century until 1879, reaching public fountains and some houses.

The complex includes the Great and Small Water Towers, the Upper Fountain Master’s House and a canal that still crosses an aqueduct into the city. Augsburg’s water management system joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2019 and covers 22 sites, nearly 200 kilometres of channels and more than 530 bridges. Nearby, the canal and aqueduct preserve a direct link between engineering, city life and the water flowing through Augsburg.