Reichenturm, Inclined tower in Bautzen, Germany

The Reichenturm is an inclined defensive tower in Bautzen standing 56 meters tall with late medieval architectural features. Its structure displays stonework and interior staircases that visitors can explore while ascending.

Construction of the round stone lower section began in 1490 and was finished by 1492, with a wooden upper part added at the time. Saxon troops set the tower alight with a fireball on 3 October 1620, and it was rebuilt from 1627, the spire ball and flag raised on 4 July 1628. After fires in 1639, 1686 and 1709, the upper part was rebuilt in masonry from 1715 to a Baroque design by Johann Christoph von Naumann, completed by Johann Christoph Steinert in 1718.

The tower's Sorbian name is Bohata wěža, "rich tower", after the Reichenstraße it closes off. Its nickname is "crooked tower" because its top leans 1.44 m from the vertical. A relief on the tower shows Emperor Rudolf II on a throne, flanked by soldiers holding shields with the coats of arms of Upper Lusatia and the Kingdom of Bohemia.

Access to the top requires climbing a narrow interior spiral staircase and being comfortable with heights. Once at the top, visitors enjoy unobstructed views across the old town and surrounding countryside.

In 1747 the city council found the spire leaning more than half an ell toward Reichengasse and Steingasse, blamed on poor material and earlier fires. A proposal to replace part of the baroque top with a wooden dome was never carried out. The 80 cm foundation proved inadequate; the lean was halted only in 1953/54, and the tip still deviates 1.44 m from vertical.