Town Fortification Büdingen

The city fortifications were continuously expanded over the centuries to protect newly developed districts. A gigantic complex, which was primarily a demonstration of power by the Counts of Ysenburg. In 1321, the place was first referred to as a city, and soon after it also received fortifications. North of the city, before 1351, the original new town was built, which was walled by 1390 and united with the old town in 1428.

Under Count Ludwig II of Ysenburg-Büdingen (1461-1511), after the severe devastations of the so-called Mainz Diocesan Feud in 1461-63, both parts of the city were surrounded by a common fortification. The old town part of the complex is particularly well preserved in the south: three tower-like projections, a recessed tower, and the Stone House with remnants of the Mill Gate are still intact. The fortification of the new town is still partially present in the west; in the north, it merged into a new fortification from around 1500.

In the east, the retaining wall of the new fortification follows the course of the 14th-century new town wall. During the new fortification around 1490, the "Dicke Turm" (Fat Tower) was added, and the highest-lying northwest corner was brought up to date defensively with the large bulwark and the flanking defense. West of the Lower Gate, a representative triumphal arch-like double-tower portal with blind tracery was built in 1503 as the main entrance to the city. All wall sections and towers, as well as the designed architectural parts, are built of local sandstone, which was quarried one kilometer south of the city. In the area of the old town wall, smaller broken stone formats were laid in an irregular bond. Literally outstanding: the "Teufelsturm" (Devil's Tower). It is located on the western old town wall and was built in 1353.