Schänzel Tower, Observation tower in Gommersheim, Germany.

The Schänzel Tower is a 13-metre-high octagonal tower of hewn bunter sandstone on the Steigerkopf. Its lower section has an external perron leading to a platform about 5 metres above ground; from there a door opens into the narrower upper section, which has embrasure-like windows and an internal staircase to the roof observation platform, protected by railings.

The tower was built in 1874 to commemorate Prussian soldiers who fought in the 1794 Battle of Trippstadt and were defeated by French forces. This monument marks an important moment in the French-Prussian conflicts affecting the region.

The tower's name comes from the Schänzel, the small fieldworks Prussian troops threw up on the Steigerkopf slopes to block French Revolutionary forces in 1794. The mountain itself is still called Schänzel in local speech, and the tower took that name. A dedication plaque on the structure, placed in 1894, commemorates the Prussian soldiers who died there on 13 July 1794.

Access to the observation platform is via internal stairs, with views of the Palatinate Forest that can be affected by tree growth. It is best visited in good weather and sturdy footwear is recommended since the stairs are narrow.

The tower stands on the Steigerkopf at 613.6 m, making it the highest-located tower in the Palatinate Forest. Its summit, including the tower site, is an exclave of Gommersheim, a municipality well to the east, not part of Edenkoben below. The 1894 dedication tablet names the Prussian commander General Theodor Philipp von Pfau, who died in the 1794 battle.