Katovská branka

The Katovská branka, the little Hangman's Gate, is a small passage in the historic town fortifications of Olomouc. Gateways like this were never meant for heavy traffic. They were narrow side entrances in the wall, easy to guard and quick to close in an emergency. The name recalls the executioner, a man who in many towns lived on the edge of society and very often on the edge of the town itself. Today the gate is a quiet witness of the old defences.