Town Fortification Ober-Ingelheim-Stiegelgässer Gate

The city fortification of Ober-Ingelheim, to which the Stiegelgässer Tor belonged, was built between the 14th and 15th centuries and enclosed the town until the 19th century. The complex served to protect the resident noble families and showed several construction phases due to different building materials and techniques. Around 1800, the fortification was still largely intact, but lost importance in the 19th century due to urban changes, such as the breakthroughs for the Neuweg (1830) and Bahnhofstraße (1876). Many parts fell into disrepair or were used as quarries. Since the 1990s, the city of Ingelheim has been committed to preserving the remaining historical structures. The Stiegelgässer Tor was built in the 13th century as the southernmost connection towards Großwinternheim and also allowed access to the town at night when the main gates were closed. Its name derives from a footbridge that had to be crossed to reach the gate.