The knights tower

This square gate tower, built in bricks around 1235, has a transverse passage with a broken barrel vault. It is one of the rare vestiges of urban military architecture in Alsace from the 13th century. This gate tower was part of the 2nd city wall. Moreover, at the top, the bell tower was used to sound the alarm in the event of a threat. But, after the construction of the third enclosure, it lost its usefulness and housed a powder magazine. From 1763 until 1918, it served as a cantonal prison, which explains why the lighting slots, facing the interior of the city, are equipped with bars. The adjoining house dating from 1763 gave access to the dungeons of the tower. In 1920 the transverse passage doubling that of the tower was created. The name Tower of the Knights could evoke a building occupied in the Middle Ages by valiant warriors, ready to pounce on the enemy. However, this is not the case. The tower owes its name to the Ritter family, which means “knight” in Alsatian, neighboring the tower.