Everyone knows the iconic gates of the former city wall that can still be found in the center of Munich: The Sendlinger Tor, the Isartor and the Karlstor. But there are other remains that neither tourists nor locals know about. One such place is near Salvatorplatz. Until the 19th century, a fortified tower still towered there, but today only a few remains and a plaque remind us of it. What is this lost place all about?
Death sentences and executions
The first city wall around Munich was built as early as the 12th century, but the fortified tower was not built until 1493. It was located between the second city wall and the intermediate wall. As it was a battery tower, it had no windows, only hatches for firing projectiles. It could only be entered from the city. It became superfluous when Munich was fortified in 1791. Nevertheless, it remained in place for over a decade before it was finally demolished in 1804.
However, the tower was not only used to defend the city against external dangers, but was also the scene of executions and torture. Legend has it that a statue of the Virgin Mary stood on the tower, which those condemned to death had to kiss before they succumbed to their fate. After the kiss, a flap in the floor opened, through which the condemned fell into the dungeon, where an Iron Maiden caught them and brought them death.
One such executed person was Captain Franz von Unertl. He is said to have been picked up from an inn by a single-span carriage on the evening of January 6, 1796, i.e. after Munich had already been stripped of its fortifications, and taken to the tower. He finally met his death by the Iron Maiden at 3 a.m. on January 7. To this day, a man in a tailcoat and leather boots is said to have been spotted in Jungfernturmstraße on the night of January 6-7. This is the ghost of the captain who haunts the street. The Maiden Tower got its name from the executions with the Iron Maiden.
The remains of the Maiden Tower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQqcqKILMc
Not much remains of the former fortified tower. Only a few remnants of the red brick wall in Jungfernturmstraße still bear witness to its old location. A plaque still commemorates it with the inscription: “Here stood the Jungfernturm, built in 1493, demolished in 1804”. But the tower that once protected Munich from external dangers lives on in the city’s urban legends. Fans of the gruesome can visit the remains of the wall and the plaque on a walk through the city. If you dare, come here on the night of January 7 and look out for the ghost of the executed Franz on Unertl.