Kütertor

The Kütertor stands at the edge of Stralsund’s old town, where the Heilgeiststraße meets the Knieperwall. Built in the 13th century as a simple tower in the city wall, it once controlled all traffic entering the town from the land side. A gatekeeper lived beside it in a small house, locking the gate each night or when danger threatened. In the 15th century the structure was rebuilt with brick and later served centuries as a prison. After years as part of a youth hostel, it now forms the centrepiece of a modern residential quarter.

The gate’s name comes from the Küter, butchers who worked nearby preparing offal. Its 15-metre height spans the street in a single span, the lower floors of raw brick topped by a lantern storey with tall arched windows. White plaster panels run between the windows like a decorative band. The passage itself is a high pointed arch, 6.5 metres wide, though the inner and outer gates have disappeared.

Visitors walk through the pointed arch into a quiet courtyard surrounded by converted buildings. The Kütertor’s brickwork and lantern are visible from every angle, while the adjoining Wasserkunst and Wasserturm add to the historic setting. The whole site lies within Stralsund’s UNESCO-listed old town, where medieval walls and towers frame cobbled streets and gabled houses.