Wood Tower, Watchtower in Mainz, Germany
The Wood Tower is a medieval watchtower on the Rhine waterfront in Mainz, with six floors and a steep hipped roof. Its pointed-arch windows are a clear sign of Gothic construction from the early 15th century.
The tower was built in the first half of the 15th century as part of Mainz's city defenses. For centuries it served both as a watchtower and a prison before being repurposed in the early 1800s.
The tower displays decorative busts of notable figures above the first-floor windows, showing a merchant with his wife and a ruler with his queen. These sculptures reveal how people of different ranks were valued in medieval times.
The tower stands near the Rhine waterfront and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. The interior is narrow and the staircase can be tiring to climb, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.
The tower takes its name from a wood market that once stood at its gate, where timber floated down the Rhine from southern Germany was sold. This means the tower stood at the crossroads of defense and everyday trade.
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