Town fortifications Gdańsk - Anchor Smith Tower

The Anchor Smith Tower (Polish Baszta Kotwiczników) is a bastion of the Gdańsk city fortifications, built in 1361. It is located on Ankerschmiedegasse (ulica Kotwiczników) not far from the Motława riverbank. After the expansion of the area encompassed by the city walls, the tower lost its military function and was converted into a prison for particularly dangerous criminals by Paulus van der Horne in 1570–1575. During the war events of 1945, the tower was almost completely destroyed, was rebuilt in 1968–1969 and became the seat of the Monument Preservation Authority of the Gdańsk Voivodeship in 1975.