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Origin and history

The Tower of the Witches, also called the Lower Gate or Niedertor, is an ancient gate of the medieval ramparts of Seletat, built in the 13th century. Its sandstone ground floor and first brick level date back to this period. It was later enhanced, with exterior brick walls and an interior wooden panel facade, now replaced by brick. In the 17th century, it was transformed into a reserve and prison, and its arches were walled to prevent passage.

Seletat, raised to the rank of city before 1217, was fortified under Frederick II around 1230, with a first enclosure including the parish church and the priory of Sainte-Foy. A second enclosure, completed around 1280, integrated the new convents. The Tower of the Witches, initially one of the four gates of this enclosure, was reinforced between 1397 and 1425 by a second wall. After successive seats and modifications (notably by Vauban in 1678), most of the ramparts were dismantled in the 19th century, leaving only a few remaining elements, including this tower.

The tower is located at 1, Place du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, in the Bas-Rhin. It was classified as a historical monument by decree of 18 June 1929 and now belongs to the commune. Its architecture mixes sandstone, brick and wooden panels, reflecting its various phases of construction and use, from fortified door to prison, then to reserve.

According to sources, the tower derives its popular name from its use as a prison, where accused witchcraft were reportedly detained, although this function is not explicitly documented in the available texts. However, the archives mention its defensive and then prison role, as well as its integration into a complex fortification system, marked by the conflicts between the Holy Empire, Sweden, France and Germany in the 17th and 19th centuries.

Architectural changes include tower enhancement, arch walling in the 17th century, and repairs after the 1814-1815 seats. In 1870, in front of the German advance, Seletat capitulated, and in 1874, the dismantling of fortifications was ordered. The Witch Tower, spared, remains a testimony of successive ramparts and medieval and modern construction techniques.

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