5. The Kinzig Gate Tower

If you follow the line of the city walls from the Kinzig side, you can see that they lead directly to the Kinzig Gate Tower. This was the largest and strongest of all the towers and had the most important role in the town’s self-defence. The guard’s walkways from both sides led to this tower, from which the city was guarded day and night by the tower watchman. It was his job to collect the town’s customs duty on approaching rafts on the Kinzig and on merchants coming to the city over the bridge. Gengenbach had the right to levy customs charges based on its status as a free city. An even more important job the watchman had was to watch out for fires and to call out the hours of the day. All incidents were announced with the use of a brass horn that the town still has in its possession. The Kinzig Gate Tower was the main entrance to the town. The gate was remounted and the tower turned into a museum during a renovation which was started in 1991.

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