A powder tower (german: Pulverturm), occasionally also powder house (''Pulverhaus''), was a building used by the military or by mining companies, frequently a tower, to store gunpowder or, later,

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

. They were common until the 20th century, but were increasingly succeeded by gunpowder magazines and

ammunition depot An ammunition dump, ammunition supply point (ASP), ammunition handling area (AHA) or ammunition depot is a military storage facility for live ammunition and explosives. The storage of live ammunition and explosives is inherently hazardous. The ...

s. The explosion of a powder tower could be catastrophic as, for example, in the Delft Explosion of 1654. Buildings formerly used as powder towers include the following: *

Langer Turm, Aachen Langer is a surname originally of German origin. For the etymology, meaning, and pronunciation of the name, and for the Hiberno-English slang word, see Wiktionary. People with the family name Langer include: Academics and scientists * Alois Lang ...

* Pulvertürmchen in Aachen *

Pulverturm, Andernach The Pulverturm in Andernach is a tower that is part of the archiepiscopal-Electorate of Cologne castle at Andernach and, at the same time, a fortified tower in the town fortifications. It was built in 1519 at the behest of the Archbishop of Cologne ...

* Pulverturm, Anklam * Pulverturm, Bad Bentheim * Pulverturm, Bad Reichenhall *

Bremer Pulvertürme Bremer may refer to: People *Bremer (surname) *Bremer Ehrler (born 1914), American politician * Bremer (born 1997), Brazilian footballer Places ;Australia *Bremer Bay, Western Australia *Bremer Marine Park *Bremer Island * Bremer River (disambigua ...

Pulverturm, Burghausen Burghausen Castle in Burghausen, Upper Bavaria, is the longest castle complex in the world (1051 m), confirmed by the Guinness World Record company. History The castle hill was settled as early as the Bronze Age. The castle (which was founded ...

* Malteserturm in Chur * Knochenturm in

Einbeck Einbeck (; Eastphalian: ''Aimbeck'') is a town in the district Northeim, in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, on the German Timber-Frame Road. History Prehistory The area of the current city of Einbeck is inhabited since prehistoric times. Vario ...

* Pulverturm, Greiz * Färberturm, Gunzenhausen * Pulverturm, Hameln *

Pulverturm, Johanngeorgenstadt The Pulverturm in Johanngeorgenstadt was a tower used by the mining authorities for storing gunpowder for the Neu Leipziger Glück pit. It was built in 1798 in a sparsely settled region outside the town on the spoil heap of the Gotthelf Schaller ...

* Pulverturm, Jena * Pulverturm, Krems *

Pulverturm, Leutkirch im Allgäu The Leutkirch Pulverturm or Leutkirch Powder Tower (german: Pulverturm) was built towards the end of the 17th century on the southeast corner of Leutkirch im Allgäu, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, as part of the rebuilding of the collapsed town w ...

* Pulverturm, Lindau * Pulverturm Lingen, Ems * Pulverturm, Linz am Rhein * Pulverturm, Mainz * Pulverturm, Memmingen * Pulverturm, Merano * Pulverturm, Meschede * Pulverturm, Munich * Buddenturm in Münster * Pulverturm, Ochsenfurt *

Pulverturm, Oldenburg The Pulverturm is a historic brick-built Gunpowder magazine, powder magazine in the city of Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Pulverturm is the last remaining building in Oldenburg's historic fortifications. A small part of ...

Powder Tower, Otjimbingwe A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and '' granular'' are sometimes used to distin ...

, Namibia *

Powder Tower, Prague The Powder Tower or Powder Gate ( cs, Prašná brána) is a Gothic tower in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the original city gates. It separates the Old Town from the New Town. History The Powder Tower is one of the original 13 city ...

(''Prašná brána'') * Pulverturm, Quedlinburg * Pulverturm, Rheinberg *

Powder Tower, Riga The Powder Tower ( lv, Pulvertornis) is situated in Riga, Latvia, and originally a part of the defensive system of the town. The current Powder Tower was built in 1650 and renovated in the years 1937 to 1940 when it was added to the structure o ...

(''Pulvertornis'') * Pulverturm, Schlanders * Pulverturm, Straubing *

Pulverturm, Templin The Pulverturm in Templin is a tower on the old town fortifications of Templin in Brandenburg. It is located in the eastern part of Templin's ''Altstadt'' not far from the Prenzlau Gate. The tower was built in the early 15th century from an old ...

* Pulverturm, Vellberg * Pulverturm, Wiedenbrück * Pulverturm, Zofingen * Pulverturm in Zwickau The Pulverturm, Demmin, bears the name, but was probably not used for this purpose.

Gallery

Prague 07-2016 View from Old Town Hall Tower img8.jpg, The Powder Tower in Prague Pulverturm Oldenburg.jpg, Pulverturm in Oldenburg with remains of the old town wall Pulverturm Wiedenbrück, Außen.jpg, Pulverturm Wiedenbrück, exterior view Landsberg Befestigung 8.jpg, Pulverturm in Landsberg am Lech Lindau-pulverturm.jpg, Pulverturm in Lindau Pulverturm neumarkt.jpg, Pulverturm in Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate Pulverturm (Riga).JPG, Pulverturm in Riga PulverturMM.jpg, Pulverturm in Memmingen Langer_Turm1.JPG, Langer Turm in Aachen Pulverturm Linz am Rhein.jpg, Pulverturm in Linz am Rhein Pulverturm_Rottenburg_01.JPG, Pulverturm in Rottenburg/Neckar Pulverturm Johanngeorgenstadt.jpg, Pulverturm in Johanngeorgenstadt Pulverturm otjimbingwe namibia 2012.jpg, Pulverturm in Otjimbingwe, Namibia Pulverturm_in_Zofingen.jpg, Pulverturm in Zofingen Zwickau city wall with powder tower (aka).jpg, Pulverturm in Zwickau

External links

{{Wiktionary ! Fortified towers by type