Town Fortification Ober-Ingelheim-Stiegelgässer Gate

The ring wall, fortified with towers, 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 thicket, as well as a rampart and ditch. 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 ditch can still be seen.

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 system in the area of the Burgkirche. It is a two-story round tower with a dome vault on the upper floor and an intact high entrance. In addition, a dungeon with a groin vault is still present.

The Stiegelgässer Tor (also Stiegelpforte) is an old city gate of the former local fortification of Ober-Ingelheim.

The name Stiegel derives from a footbridge, over which one had to pass the gate to enter the town. The street passing through it (Stiegelgasse) also bears witness to this former footbridge.

The gate consists of two towers, of which the western tower is very well preserved, while the eastern one is not. The battlements and the ascent staircase are still preserved on the western gate tower.

The gate was built in the 13th century as the southernmost connection towards Großwinternheim. One could also enter the town through this gate in the evening when the main gate was closed. The well-preserved western tower is now in private ownership, only the eastern tower is owned by the city of Ingelheim.

Car traffic still passes through the Stiegelgässer Tor today, and this will not change in the near future.