Ledererturm

The Ledererturm is the only one of the four city towers that has been preserved, while the other three were demolished during the 19th century. Today, it is considered the landmark of Wels and its main attraction. The name of the Lederertor, first mentioned in a document on July 24, 1326, comes from the suburban quarter “Unter den Lederern” (today's Fabrikstraße and Schwimmschulgasse), where numerous leather workshops were located. In 1610, the tower was severely damaged during a futile attack by the “Passau War People” on the city of Wels and threatened to collapse. Through a reconstruction in the years 1616-1619 by the Wels master mason Marx Martin Spaz from Linz, the Ledererturm received its current form (keystone of the gate with the year 1618). The almost 38-meter-high structure on an almost square floor plan consists of stories separated by horizontal bands, each with a window on the east and west sides in three of its four floors. The fourth floor houses the tower clock. The gate features rusticated ashlar masonry pointed at the arch, and the corners of the tower are also emphasized by ashlar. Tower Watchmen: In the uppermost rooms of the towers, the tower watchmen performed their duty as fire guards. If they discovered a fire, they would call out “Feurio” and display a red flag from the window in the direction of the fire, thus showing the firefighters the way. Strangers were checked at the gate passage. From evening until morning, the gates remained closed, so that one could neither enter nor leave the city at night. Anyone who could not find accommodation during the day had to leave the city. As a sign of this, the bells of the city parish church were rung at 9 p.m. This ringing out was maintained as a tradition until 1914. Ledererturm Today: During the festive Christmas season, the second floor of the Ledererturm transforms into a museum for historical toys. On the third floor of the tower is the main attraction of the Wels Christmas market: visitors have the opportunity to take a photo in Santa's living room and write a personal letter to Santa. If they leave their address, the children even receive a reply. Outside the festive Christmas season, visitors have the opportunity to explore the Ledererturm from the inside during a night watchman's walk. (Night watchman's tour - www.wels.at/fuehrungen) The Ledererturm is located at the end of the Wels Stadtplatz.