Turm 25 (Winfriede)

Turm 25 (Winfriede) stands in Linz, Austria, as a surviving military structure from the city’s nineteenth-century defences. It formed part of the Maximilianische Turmlinie, a ring of detached towers around Linz. Thick stone walls, a ditch, an earth glacis, and a rear entrance give the site its defensive appearance. The glacis concealed most of each tower from attackers.

Archduke Maximilian Joseph of Austria-Este developed this system after older city walls proved inadequate against military threats. Construction began in 1831 and continued through 1838. Separate towers supported one another, allowing neighbouring positions to fire on a captured tower. This structure follows the standard tower design. Three rings of stone walls enclosed vaulted brick ceilings, gun positions, living quarters, storage, and rooms below ground.

Military technology soon reduced the fortifications’ usefulness, while urban growth led to many towers being sold or demolished. This survivor preserves part of Linz’s defensive history. Its entrance once stood behind a drawbridge, reached across the ditch at the rear of the structure.