The Reichenbach Tower (, ) probably built in the 13th century and first mentioned in 1376 is the western part of the historic fortification of

Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...

. With a height of 51m it is the tallest of the three fortified towers in

. (the other two being Thick Tower and Nikolai Tower).

History

Probably the history of the tower dates back to the 13th century, when the Upper Market (''Obermarkt'') was laid out. The tower was first mentioned in 1376. Above the cubic lower part an octagon with a monopitch roof was put on. It merges into a cylindrical upper tower. The tower is crowned by circular battlements with

Lombard band A Lombard band is a decorative blind arcade, usually located on the exterior of building. It was frequently used during the Romanesque and Gothic periods of Western architecture. It resembles a frieze of arches. Lombard bands are believed to ...

and the hood. The circular battlements on top of the tower and a wooden hood were added in 1485. The Reichenbach Tower was connected in 1521 with the ''Kaisertrutz'' (another

fortified tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of ...

erected in 1490) by two walls. The late wooden gothic tower hood had been replaced in 1782 by a

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

copper hood. The gateway and the connecting walls were demolished in 1862 and shortly after a pedestrian passage was built through the tower. The last tower guard left in 1904 and the bells ring electric since then. Due to severe damage, the tower was extensively restored from 1935. During the restoration work in 1936, eight steel anchors were inserted into the lower part of the tower, which were hidden behind twelve colored coats of arms made by the painter Arno Henschel from

. The upper six crests show the states

belonged to in the past:

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

and finally

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

. The lower six crest show the city emblems of members of

Lusatian League The Lusatian League () was a historical alliance of six towns in the region of Upper Lusatia from 1346 until 1815, when the region was controlled first by Bohemia (1346–1635) and later by the Electorate of Saxony (1635–1815). The member towns ...

. With no military usages after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the tower is now used as a

viewing tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and wo ...

and is part of a historico-cultural museum (''Görlitzer Sammlungen'') Görlitz Obermarkt mit Reichenbacher Turm.JPG, View from the Upper Market Kaisertrutz and Reichenbacher Turm.jpg, ''Kaisertrutz'' and Reichenbach Tower Bundesarchiv Bild 183-63751-0001, Görlitz, Reichenbacher Turm.jpg, Reichenbach Tower in 1959

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Görlitz Tourist attractions in Görlitz Fortified towers in Germany Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century