The historic gate of Augsburg

The bird's gate ( German Vogeltor ) is part of the city fortifications of Augsburg , which once formed the suburb of St. Jacob (Jakobervorstadt). First, an urban moat appeared, and in 1374, strengthening the city walls, a gate and a bridge over the moat were built. The first gate did not last long: in 1445 they were demolished and new ones were built. It was at the time of the mayor by the name of Vogelin, so, according to one version, the gate got its name from this very name. During the Thirty Years War, Augsburg was occupied by Swedish troops in 1632–1635. During these years, the system of city fortifications was reconstructed, including the section of the Bird's Gate. Time passed, the need for fortifications decreased with each century, until it completely disappeared. In 1880, the bridge over the moat was dismantled, and the bastion was partially dismantled. In 1944, during the bombing of Augsburg, the gate burned down. They were restored only after 10 years. The city was becoming more automobile, and the gate began to interfere with traffic on Upper Moat (Oberer Graben). Then, inside the gate, an opening was made for the passage of vehicles - in the form of a beautiful arch. But this was not enough, I had to dismantle the buildings between the gates and the fortress wall. Near the gate for many centuries, since 1538, the wheel of a water mill has been spinning. Not far, towering above the city wall, stands the baroque tower of the monastery of St. Ursula.

Gate of the Fishermen ( German: Fischertor ). The first mention in the documents of this gate dates back to 1328, but they were then called differently - Burgfeldtor and Lohrhubentor. But still, the gate led to the suburb of fishermen: Senkelbach, and since the middle of the 15th century the current name has become generally accepted.

In 1609, the famous Augsburg architect Elias Holl, famous for the Town Hall of Augsburg, rebuilt the Rybakov Gate. Almost a century later, during the Spanish Succession War, the gates were completely destroyed. They were not restored for a very long time, right up to the 20th century. It was only in 1925 that Fischertor reappeared in Augsburg. To reflect the style of the previous building, the gates were given the baroque features.

The gate of St. Jacob ( German: Jakobertor ) was once the most important of the outer gates of the city of Augsburg. A strategic road from Swabia to Bavaria passed through them. The first mention of this gate dates back to 1346. In 1462, the gate acquired a rising grate that reliably protects the entrance. The original form of the gate has been preserved to our days: a four-sided base with a tapering extension and a two-story top with a high gabled roof. It was through this gate during the Thirty Years War that the Swedish king Gustavus Adolf II entered the city of Augsburg on April 24, 1632. In the doorway there is a stone image of Kaiser Sigismund. On the western side of the gate is a city coat of arms with the famous pine cone, which became the symbol of Augsburg.

At the place where the Gateway to the bridge over Vertach ( German Wertachbruckertor ) now stands, there was once a customs house. First, a tower was built here, which was decorated with painting in 1402. In 1605, Elias Holl built a tower on two floors, finishing with a flat roof with a beautiful architectural lantern. Through Wertachbruckertor on October 10, 1805, another famous military commander, Emperor Napoleon the First, entered Augsburg. The image of this event is on the Vendome column in Paris. The small board on the Wertachbruckertor recalls the birthday of the Bavarian king Ludwig the Second. He was born on August 25, 1845 - on the same day as his grandfather - Ludwig the First. In 1843, an image of the statue of the Virgin Mary appeared on the inside of the niche. In 1989, the gate was restored. The sundial, which then appeared on the tower, was not paid from the city treasury - this is a gift from the society of Old Augsburg.

From time immemorial, the Red Gate ( German: Rotes Tor ) was the most important of the southern gates of the city. A road passed through them to Tyrol and Italy, and therefore customs was located here. Now trams go to the Haunstetten area and until 1482 the Red Gate was called Haunstetter Tor. Of all the city gates, the Red Gate is the oldest. Augsburg was founded by the Romans, and the road to Rome and Venice passed there. She was called "Via Claudia Augusta" in honor of the Emperor Claudius. She led to the waterway along the Danube - and reached the river in the area of ​​the present city of Donauwoerth . Of course, the road inevitably required an outpost, and the outpost required some fortifications, so the gates and the adjacent defensive space were rebuilt several times. Elias Holl is the author of one of the best architectural ensembles in Augsburg: the Red Gate and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit (Rotes Tor and Heilig-Geist-Spital). Twice, in 1611 and 1622, he rebuilt the Red Gate. The bridge at the Red Gate was built much later - in 1777.