Town Fortification Ober-Ingelheim-Ohrenbrücker Gate

The tower-fortified ring wall consisted of limestone rubble and fieldstones and was six to eight meters high. It had 16 towers and seven gates, some of which were inhabited. In addition, it was fronted by a palisade as well as a rampart and moat. Since the Selz river west of the town was very marshy at that time, a fortification was not necessary there. The best-preserved part today is the section around the Burgkirche and the northern section in front of the Burgkirche, where the former moat is still visible.

The Uffhubtor is the youngest and at the same time best-preserved city gate. It led in the direction of Wackernheim and Mainz. The western Ohrenbrücker Tor led over the then marshy Selz in the direction of Westerberg. In the 1960s, the archway was reconstructed based on the Uffhubtor. To the southwest lies the Stiegelgässer Tor; it could also be passed at night when the main gates were closed. At the Stiegelgässer Tor, one first passed a footbridge, hence the current name Stieg, to enter the town. The Altengässer Tor was the gate towards Gau-Algesheim. It was located at the western end of today's Altengasse and is no longer preserved. To the north was the Rinderbacher Tor, which was the connection between the two towns of Nieder- and Ober-Ingelheim. It was already demolished in the 19th century and replaced by a residential building, until it was completely removed in the 1970s. The Hammergässer Tor, which is no longer preserved today, was the connection between Sporkenheim and Ober-Ingelheim. Today, a new development area is located on the site. It can be assumed that all city gates, except for the Uffhubtor, had a similar architectural style. The gates were always opened at 4 a.m. and closed again at 8 p.m. The gate complexes were all inhabited by a gatekeeper.

A number of conical spired towers have been preserved, some of which are inhabited today. The Malakoffturm is the most striking part of the defensive complex in the area of the Burgkirche. It is a two-story round tower with a dome vault in the upper floor and an intact high entrance. In addition, a dungeon with a groin vault is still present.

The Ohrenbrücker Tor is an old city gate of the former local fortification in Ober-Ingelheim. Ohrenbrücke derives from "Upper Bridge". In the Middle Ages, two bridges existed over the Selz, the Lower Bridge at the no longer existing Altengässer Tor and the Upper Bridge at the Ohrenbrücker Tor.

The gate consists of two towers and a Gothic arch. The northern tower was reconstructed in the mid-20th century together with the archway. Pointed spires were probably located on the towers. The gate has a machicolation above the archway. The gate towers are decorated with round arch friezes.

History

The first mention of the gate dates back to the 13th century. It was built for access in the direction of Westerberg. Originally, the area in front of the gate was marshy due to the Selz, so it was initially difficult to enter and leave the town with wagons there. There was only a narrow bridge for pedestrians.

20th Century – Reconstruction and Redesign

Until 1906, the medieval buildings of the Engelthal nunnery stood above the gate, which fell victim to new road construction. In 1964, the structure underwent a series of renovations, receiving an archway based on the Uffhubtor. It is quite possible that the gate had a completely different appearance in the Middle Ages than it does today. In contrast to the Uffhubtor, car traffic never passed through the archway. Today, the structure is a protected monument.

Immediately in front of the gate, the Selz flows through a small green area. Above the gate are remnants of the nunnery.