Town fortifications Gdańsk - Frauentor

The Frauengasse (Polish: ul. Mariacka) is one of the most beautiful streets in the city. It begins at St. Mary's Church. With its narrow and richly decorated townhouses and the stoops (elevated terraces in front of the actual front door, accessible via often decoratively adorned stairs), it is an example of the former Gdansk street development. The style of the gate is late Gothic. It was probably built in the last quarter of the 15th century – it is first mentioned in 1484 – with a rectangular floor plan and as the end of the street. It differs from the Brotbänkentor by its strong asymmetry and the massive octagonal towers on the east facade. On the gate one can see coats of arms: in the direction of the Mottlau the coat of arms of Poland-Lithuania, flanked by the coats of arms of Gdansk and Royal Prussia, in the direction of the Frauengasse it shows the coat of arms of Gdansk, held by two lions. The facade is decorated with blind arches (partially double), which are topped by a double pointed arch. The gable roof has its ridge parallel to the Mottlau. After severe destruction in 1945, it was rebuilt between 1958 and 1961 to house the Archaeological Museum. During the reconstruction, the rooms in the gate were connected to the neighboring House of the Natural History Society. In 1998, a commemorative plaque was placed on the Mottlau side, commemorating Alexander von Humboldt and his connection to Gdansk, namely his honorary membership in the Gdansk Natural History Society.