Town Fortification Wismar-Wasser Gate

The Wassertor (Water Gate) in Wismar on Wasserstraße in the northwest of the historic city center is a harbor gate of the Hanseatic city in the Brick Gothic style and the last remaining of formerly five city gates of Wismar's city fortifications. The access road is called Spiegelberg. It was also the only beach or harbor gate through which one could directly enter the city from the harbor. The others, all land gates, were the Poeler Tor or Haraldstor in the north (tall gate tower with defensive turrets, named after the island of Poel), furthermore the Mecklenburger Tor (tall gate tower with defensive turrets) in the south, the Lübsche Tor (since 1699 similar to the Wassertor with a triangular gable, originally a striking tall gate tower) in the west, and the Altwismartor or Rostocker Tor (stepped gable gate building with roof attachment, onion dome, and lantern) as a counterpart in the east, each at the end of the street of the same name. South of the Wassertor, there was also a "Wassertor" as a wall passage for the Grube, an artificial water arm from the 13th century running east-west like a canal, and in the southeast, a Windpförtchen (Wind Gate).

The Wassertor was built in 1450 during the late Gothic period. It has a pointed-arch, comparatively large passage, above which is a square tower with a gabled roof. Both the city and harbor sides are crowned by a gable. On the city side, there is a stepped gable with battlements, which features six narrow blind arches. On three floors, there are narrow, tall light openings. Above the archway, there is a white band. The harbor-side gable has had a triangular shape since a renovation in 1600. In its upper section, there are three quite wide blind arches, and above the passage, four windows. On both sides of the gate, above the pointed arches, there are two coats of arms each; on the field or harbor side, both tilted inwards, on the left the split city coat of arms with the half Mecklenburg bull's head in front and the four silver-red-silver-red bars of the city colors behind, on the right the old city coat of arms with the four bars of the city colors (heraldically: three times divided by silver and red). This can be found, now untiled, on both sides of the city side of the gate. Previously, the arrangement of the coats of arms was as on the harbor side. In the course of Wismar's industrial development in the second half of the 19th century, the city wall, wall towers, and city gates were demolished in 1869/70, with the exception of a few remnants. Besides the Wassertor, the Old Water Tower is another relic of Wismar's city fortifications.

Today, the Wassertor is the seat of the Club maritim association.