Schwäbisch Gmünd in Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower

By Andrew Ruppenstein, June 24, 2017

1. Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower Marker

Inscription. Der Fünfknopfturm war in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts ein ungemein beliebtes Motiv, sodass er auch als Hintergrund bei vielen Ansichten erscheint. Der Fünfknopfturm markiert die west-liche Stadtmauer vor dem Waldstetter Bach, etwa auf halber Strecke zwischen den abgebrochenen Stadttoren bzw. -türmen, dem äußeren Bockstor bzw. Ledertorturm. Die leicht stumpfwinkligen Außenseiten vereinten zwei Vorteile: Zum einen ermöglichten sie die bessere Bestreichung der hier parallel zur Stadtmauer verlau-fenden Straße zwischen Graben und Waldstetter Bach, zum an-deren boten sie dem Angreifer geringere direkte Aufprallfläche und garantierten bessere Standfestigkeit als eine gerade Mauer. Der Typus stammt sicher aus dem Burgenbau des 12./13. Jahrhunderts, wie er im Elsass und in der Pfalz nachgewiesen werden kann. Den Abschluss bilden drei charakteristische Dacherker, den Namen bekam der Turm von den knopfartigen Aufsätzen, davon zwei auf dem First des Walmdachs.

[English translation:]
The "Five-points" (lit. five-button) tower was an extremely popular pictorial motif in the second half of the 19th century, as it appears as the backdrop for many views. The Five-points tower marks the western city wall in front of the Waldstetter Brook, halfway between the dismantled city gates and towers,

Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower and Marker image. Click for full size.

By Andrew Ruppenstein, June 24, 2017

2. Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower and Marker

The marker is visible across the street, on the right.

the outer Bocks Gate and Ledertor Tower. The slightly obtuse-angled outer sides of the tower combined two advantages: on the one hand, they made possible a better laying of the road parallel to the city wall between the Graben (moat, now filled in) and Waldstetter Brook, and on the other hand they offered the attacker a smaller direct impact surface and guaranteed more stability than a straight wall. This type of tower originated from the castle building of the 12th-13th Century, as can be found in Alsace and the Palatinate (Rhineland). Finally, the tower was dominated by button- or knob-like attachments, two of them on the ridge of the hipped roof.

Erected 2014 by Landesgartenschau Schwäbisch Gmünd. (Marker Number 36.)

Location. 48° 47.968′ N, 9° 47.532′ E. Marker is in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Württemberg, in Ostalbkreis. Marker is on Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße just south of Bahnhofstrasse, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Robert-von-Ostertag-Straße 5, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Württemberg 73525, Germany.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Garten der Partnerstadt Bethlehem (USA) / Garden of the Sister City of Bethlehem (USA) (about 90 meters away, measured

Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower - Looking north up Pfeiffergaessle image. Click for full size.

By Andrew Ruppenstein, June 24, 2017

3. Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower - Looking north up Pfeiffergaessle

in a direct line); Münsterplatz 12 (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Glockenturm / Belltower (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Katharina Czisch (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Schwäbisch Gmünd War Memorial (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Marktplatz Nr. 16 (approx. 0.4 kilometers away).

Also see . . . Fünfknopfturm und Unteres Tor (Wikipedia, in German). (Submitted on September 11, 2017.)

Categories. • Forts, Castles •

Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower - Eastern side image. Click for full size.

By Andrew Ruppenstein, June 24, 2017

4. Fünfknopfturm / Five-points Tower - Eastern side

View from the tower, looking east image. Click for full size.

By Andrew Ruppenstein, June 24, 2017

5. View from the tower, looking east

Credits. This page was last revised on September 11, 2017. This page originally submitted on September 8, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 8, 2017, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California.