Memmingen Town Fortification

The origins of the fortifications date back to the 12th century, when a first ring wall enclosed the so-called Welfenstadt. Presumably around 1170/1180, but no later than 1230, the first stone walls with four city gates were built. In the 13th century, after the city's growth and the establishment of monasteries, a first expansion took place, encompassing the Kalchervorstadt with a wall belt and defining the city's eastern boundary until the 19th century. The largest medieval expansion in the 14th century included the Wegbachsiedlung and required the demolition of southern walls. During this phase, new gates such as the Lindauer Tor and the Kempter Tor, as well as numerous towers, were erected. The eastern part of the city was naturally protected by the dammed waters of the Haienbach. The third expansion in the 15th century integrated the Ulmer Vorstadt, with the Ulmer Tor and other towers being built. The construction of the Einlass in 1475 marked the completion of the medieval fortifications, which now consisted of 28 gates and towers and a three-kilometer-long wall.