Fünfknopfturm Kaufbeuren

The Fünfknopfturm stands in Kaufbeuren as part of the old town wall and serves as the city’s emblem. Built in 1420, this Gothic tower once housed the town’s fire watch and warned residents of danger by ringing its bell. From its hilltop position it overlooks the entire old town, giving clear views in every direction. The tower is famous for a 1917 iron shield on its east face that carries 5 387 nails as a First World War memorial. The shield’s coat-of-arms displays the flags of the Central Powers: the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, Germany and Austria-Hungary. Until 2014 a watchman still lived in the room at the top. Visitors climb inside to see the original bell and the watchman’s quarters preserved just as they were. The tower’s thick walls and narrow windows show how it defended the town centuries ago. From the top platform the view stretches across Kaufbeuren’s rooftops and beyond to the surrounding countryside.