Speyerer Tor, Baroque city gate in Frankenthal, Germany
The Speyerer Tor is a triumphal-arch-style gate built in 1772–73 to designs by Nicolas de Pigage, forming the southern entrance to Frankenthal's pedestrian zone. Its baroque stonework still shows cannonball damage and musket-ball holes from the 1794 battle.
The gate was built in 1772/73 to plans by Mannheim architect Nicolas de Pigage, just before his Karlstor in Heidelberg, and is the last surviving gate of its kind in Rhineland-Palatinate. It replaced an earlier gate as part of Elector Carl Theodor's upgraded fortifications. On 3 January 1794 French revolutionary troops shelled Frankenthal and hit the gate; cannon and musket damage is still visible.
The gate's name comes from the Free Imperial City of Speyer, like the Speyerer Straße that once ran from the market square through it toward Speyer. Its counterpart is the Wormser Tor at the northern entrance to the centre. A graphic of the gate serves as the logo of Frankenthal.
The gate is located at 56A Speyerer Strasse and marks the access point to the pedestrian zone with nearby shops and cafes. Its location makes it easy to reach and serves as a natural reference point when exploring the city center.
The gate still bears damage from 3 January 1794, when French revolutionary troops fired 8.5-pound cannon at Frankenthal and hit it; musket-ball marks remain on the gate and in the inner passage. A drawing of the Speyerer Tor serves as the logo of the city of Frankenthal.
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