Bayertor
Coordinates: 48°2′54.9″N 10°52′55.9″E / 48.048583°N 10.882194°E
Bayertor
The Bayertor in Landsberg am Lech is part of the extended city fortifications and was built from 1419 to 1425 as the terminus of the third ring of city walls and as the eastern gate towards Bavaria. As a border town to Swabia, Landsberg am Lech held important strategic significance. The tower complex—protected by a drawbridge, and comprising four gates, two courtyards, and internal ramparts—served both to defend the city and to secure the border between the Wittelsbach Duchy of Bavaria and the Bishopric of Augsburg. Additionally, the Bayertor—also called the Munich Gate—was one of the city’s principal customs stations, where merchants paid duties on goods and pavement fees. It also fulfilled representative functions, symbolizing the strength and prosperity of the city on the salt road.[1]
Through its polychromatic design and rich façade decoration, the Bayertor is regarded as one of the largest and most beautiful late Gothic gate complexes in Southern Germany. The tower, built in multiple storeys on a square foundation, measures 36 metres in height. In its upper third, the battlemented tower features three rows of late Gothic windows. On the east face beneath the clock is a large sandstone relief depicting the Crucifixion, with Jesus on the cross flanked by his mother and John. In side niches, angels kneel to collect Christ’s sacred blood in chalices. Below are the coats of arms of the donors: Duke Wilhelm (left), his brother (right), and Elisabeth Visconti (centre). As the wife of Duke Ernst—who granted Landsberg am Lech to her as part of her dower—she was a major patron and, together with the dukes, financed the construction. A small panel in the pointed frame bears the city’s coat of arms and, in Gothic numerals, the year of construction. The Palatinate–Bavarian coat of arms, painted by Johann Anwander on the fore-tower’s field side, was added in 1768.
Around 1435, a barbican was added to the east: a fortified outwork with two inner courtyards flanked by square, battlemented side towers and connecting galleries. These works responded to advances in firearms during the late 15th century. The clock in the upper storey also dates from this period, and its mechanism survives to this day. Circa 1860–70, a water tank for the municipal supply was installed within the tower. Restorations followed in the early 1970s and again in 2015–16.
A crucifix dating from the late 16th or early 17th century hangs in the gate passage and is said to have washed ashore during a flood of the Lech. Opposite it is an inscription referring to Saint Dismas, patron of carters. The city-facing tower bell—probably installed in the 17th or 18th century—is known locally as the “Swedish bell.”
The Bayertor is open to visitors from May to October. The observation platform offers views over the town, the Lech, the surrounding countryside and, in föhn weather, as far as the Alps. Access is Tuesday–Sunday, 10:30–12:30 and 13:00–17:00.
The tower’s interior is decorated with architectural paintings, some of which survive in their original form. A film presentation visualizes its history, and a children’s corner explains the site’s significance and the history of Landsberg.
Today the Bayertor is one of the city’s landmarks.
Fortification
The main tower was originally constructed as a defensive structure, secured by courtyards and ramparts. It had four gates and a drawbridge over the moat. However, its relatively thin walls made it obsolete against firearms by the time of completion and unsuitable for mounting them. It was reinforced with bastions and earthworks during the Thirty Years’ War.[2]
Miscellaneous
The Bayertor appears on the coat of arms of the Landsberg ice hockey club EV Landsberg 2000.
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Original interior painting of the Bayertor -
Historic clockwork in the Bayertor -
Weather vane on the Bayertor -
Swedish bell on the Bayertor
References
- ↑ Denkmäler in Bayern. LL. pp. 368–370. Search this book on
- ↑ Lichtenstern, Anton (2019). Landsberg am Lech, Stadtführer. Marktoberdorf: Holzheu Verlag. p. 78. ISBN 978-3-938330-23-4. Search this book on
External links
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