Kaufingertor, Gate tower in Altstadt-Lehel, Germany.
The Kaufingertor was a four-story gate tower with stone walls that stood between Kaufingerstraße and Fürstenfelderstraße in Munich's old town. It served as a fortified passage at a major intersection in the city center.
This gate tower was built in the late 12th century as one of Munich's five original city gates. It was torn down in 1479 but rebuilt in 1484, though it did not return to its former appearance.
The name Schöner Turm, meaning Beautiful Tower, came from the decorative frescoes and clock that adorned it after 1510. This reflected what people in medieval Munich considered worth displaying on their important buildings.
You can find the former gate's location marked by ground markings in the pedestrian zone at the intersection of Kaufingerstraße and Augustinerstraße. A commemorative stone and plaque help you identify the exact spot where it once stood.
This gate once controlled access to Munich's western salt trade route, which was crucial to the city's prosperity. Salt trading was so valuable that the city invested heavily in fortifying and monitoring this key passage.
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