Klingentor

The Klingentor stands in Ochsenfurt, Germany, as a five-storey square stone gate tower within the old city fortifications. Its western entrance once faced Winterhausen beyond the town walls. A bell-shaped roof crowns the massive structure, while the upper floor projects slightly above the lower walls. At ground level, a rounded arch preserves stones that held a portcullis.

The tower’s original form dates to 1307, although repeated rebuilding altered its medieval appearance. In 1598, Philipp Rößler and Erhard Beer oversaw renovation that raised it several metres. During the Peasants’ War in 1525, builders walled up the entrance. Before then, the smaller Schnellerturm, side gates, and moat formed a closed defensive approach. That outer tower carried stone cannons from 1505, later replaced by hook guns.

By 1830, the council had the Schnellerturm demolished and the moat filled at this point. Today, small turrets between the palace and tower remain visible. Old drawings preserve the vanished bridge and double-gate arrangement, including the narrow retractable Schneller.