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Origin and history

The Obertor, also known as the Brand Gate or Noehltor, is one of three preserved gates of the fortified enclosure of Turckheim, built from 1315 after Emperor Henry VII granted the city the right to raise ramparts in 1312. This fortification marked the eastern entrance of the city, supplemented by semicircular towers and a partially preserved ditch. The gate has defensive features such as murderers, gunboats and a harrow, while its bridge dates back to 1555.

Turckheim, raised to the rank of city in 1312, became a member of the Alsatian Decapole in 1354, an alliance of ten free cities of Empire. Its defensive system, including the Obertor, reflects its strategic importance. Although Louis XIV ordered the destruction of the fortifications in 1673, the work was limited, allowing for almost complete preservation of the ramparts. The neighbouring gate of France was restored in 1888 by Charles Winkler before his neo-Gothic additions were abolished in 1912.

Ranked a historic monument in 1931, the Obertor illustrates medieval and reborn military architecture, with wood-paned elements and corner chains with bosses. Its exceptional state of conservation is explained by the subsequent addition of houses against the enclosure walls, protecting the original structure. Today, it bears witness to Turckheim's imperial past and its role in the Alsatian Decapole.

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