Hausmannsturm

The Hausmannsturm stands in Helmstedt’s Neumärker Straße as the oldest surviving town gate in the Braunschweig region. Built in the late 13th century, it took its present form in the early 15th century as the last gate of the town’s ring of walls. The square tower rises thirty-six metres and carries a vaulted passage beneath its cross-groined ceiling. Of the eight towers that once punctuated Helmstedt’s medieval curtain wall, only four remain in fragments today. The gate’s name recalls the Hausmann, the town’s watchman who lived inside with two assistants and a young apprentice. The watchman’s duties included blowing his horn at noon each Saturday from April to October to mark the end of the week. He also sounded alarms for fires and approaching dangers, and on special occasions played music with his helpers through the streets. In 2002 a small wedding room was installed during restoration work, and in 2008 a webcam was fixed to the tower to stream the view down Neumärker Straße toward the market square. Visitors climb the tower’s interior to reach the upper chamber where the watchman once kept vigil. The vaulted passage below shows the original construction methods of the 15th century. From the top platform there are wide views over Helmstedt’s rooftops and the surrounding countryside. The tower’s stonework bears the marks of centuries of use and repair, including the later addition of the wedding room and camera housing.