Pulverturm

The Pulverturm was one of two towers built in the 13th century to store gunpowder near Berlin’s medieval city wall. It stood close to the old Spandauer Tor where the Spandauer Straße met the Wallstraße. A second tower stood at the corner of Klosterstraße and Wallstraße. Both towers were used to hold ammunition and gunpowder during the 17th century.

The towers became dangerous after the Thirty Years’ War ended in 1648. A new fortification was built beyond the old walls, moving the Spandauer Tor east between 1660 and 1662. The old towers remained standing and were considered a constant risk. In 1717 King Frederick William I ordered the royal gunpowder factory moved to Jungfernheide, now Moabit. Once the powder was removed, the towers could be demolished.

The final removal began in summer 1720 under the king’s personal supervision. Workers wore felt socks and were forbidden to smoke to prevent sparks. On 12 August 1720 the remaining gunpowder exploded. The blast shattered windows as far away as the royal palace and the Zeughaus. The nearby Garrison Church, built between 1701 and 1703 by Martin Grünberg, suffered severe damage and had to be rebuilt under Philipp Gerlach. The church reopened on 31 May 1722, the same year the restored Spandauer Tor was completed.