Dessauer Torturm

The Dessauer Torturm stands in Aken, a small town beside the Elbe in Sachsen-Anhalt. It forms part of the old town wall that once enclosed the medieval settlement. The tower sits on the north-eastern edge of the old town, where the Dessauer Strasse leads out towards Dessau. Built in the 13th century, the tower was raised to its present form in 1608. Its massive brick walls are 1.65 metres thick and rise 17 metres high. A round-arched passage passes through the ground floor, while Gothic windows appear on the south and west sides above. Rectangular windows light the east and west faces of the upper storey, and the corners are reinforced with ashlar blocks. Visitors find a plain square tower without a roof. On the outside wall a stone plaque records its protected status. Storks nest on the roof each spring, giving the tower its local name. The surrounding streets still follow the line of the old defences, linking the tower to the rest of the historic town.