Karawelle, Residential tower in Old Town, Lübeck, Germany.
The Karawelle is a half-timbered residential tower built into Lübeck's medieval city wall, located along the southeastern edge of the fortification. The building uses the old wall itself as part of its structure, with the tower facing the street while opening to the historic rampart behind it.
In 1672, a residential structure was built inside one of the defensive towers of the city wall, which had stood for centuries as part of the fortification system. This conversion turned a military structure into a home while preserving the original tower as the backbone of the new building.
The building shows how people adapted medieval fortifications into everyday living spaces and what kinds of homes they created inside them. Converting city walls into residences was a practical solution for limited space in the densely packed Old Town.
The tower is located on An der Mauer street and is visible from the public sidewalk, sitting directly along the historic walking route through the Old Town. It lies about 1 mile from the main train station and is easily reached on foot when exploring the medieval quarter.
The tower was built without a back wall, using the medieval fortification itself as the building's rear surface. This clever design saved space and kept the old defense wall functionally intact as part of the home.
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