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In Ulm's eastern part there is the rest of a former city wall that lost its importance as a fortification when the city had expanded beyond this wall and had been protected by a wider wall.
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On the Seelgraben, looking east to the Seelturm |
Seelturm and Zundeltor seen from the south in the Griesbadgasse |
On the Seelgraben, looking west |
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Photos: Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2012 |
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Northern side of the Seelgraben |
Stump of a tower on the northern side of the Seelgraben |
Northern side of the Seelgraben |
Inscription of the Seelturm
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Comment
As explained by Wikipedia (only the German one) and the official sites of the city of Ulm, the Seelturm (Soul Tower) got its name from a near Seelhaus (soul house) where Seelschwestern (soul nurses or soul nuns) were caring for sick and leprous people. To prevent contagion (among other, less avowable reasons) this hospital for poor people was located outside the city.
In later times, the tower was also called Zundelturm (Tinder Tower) because it served as a storing place for tinder, which was an important base material for making fire and, above all, for shooting.
The city gate beside the Seelturm, the so-called Zundeltor (Tinder Gate), got its present width in 1897, due to traffic requirements. At any rate, city fortifications had become useless against modern armament. But this particular part of a former city wall, called Seelgraben (Soul Moat), seems to have lost any military importance already at the beginning of the 17th century because houses for the soldiers had been built on it in 1610. This would have been very incautious on a military fortification in use.
Nowadays the still intact section of the former city wall is about a kilometer long and there is an unbroken range of small houses on its entire length. As the austere northern side (Heimstraße, from Frauenstraße to Münchner Straße) is in contrast with the charming southern side (pedestrian path from the Münchner Straße or Griesbadstraße to the Frauenstraße, passing on the wall), I recommend to follow a circuit like that described here. Especially the passage on the wall, with its affectionately arranged low houses, their benches near the door, and their small gardens, is a charming experience. The small houses are still being inhabited. The year 1805 only indicates the end of their use for the soldiers.
Bibliography
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Author / Title / Subject |
Notes |
Info / Purchase |
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Munich, Bavaria and the Black Forest |
A guide to southern Germany. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
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Bavaria |
A specialized guide to Bavaria. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
Internet
Please be aware of our legal reservation concerning any Internet reference.
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Address / Owner |
Content / Subjects |
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Zwei Städte - ein Lebensraum (Two Cities - One Vital Space) |
Shared site of the municipalities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm (German language). |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the city of Ulm. |
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By Google Maps. |
Zoomable city map of Ulm. |
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In the German Wikipedia. |
Short encyclopaedic article on the nuns called Seelschwester (= Seelnonne) because they cared for sick, dying and dead people and their souls. |
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In the German Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the so-called Auf dem Kreuz quarter, where there are the Zundeltor and the Seelturm. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the various sorts of tinder, its former importance for human survival, the problems of its storage, and its natural resources. |
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Seelturm und Zundeltor (Soul Tower and Tinder Gate) On the official touristc site of Ulm and Neu-Ulm. |
Short article on the Seelturm and its gate named Zundeltor, with a map of this quarter of the city (German language). |
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Holidays in Ulm? Excellent idea! But where to stay? |
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Whether you are looking for a room, an apartment, a hotel, a guest house,
or any other accommodation, |
Arrival by Public Transport
For the arrival in Ulm, see Inscriptions of Ulm.
Exiting the Ulm main station, take the pedestrian subway just in front of you and continue straight ahead in the pedestrian street till the minster square (Münsterplatz). Turn to the left into the Platzgasse and then to the right into the Frauengraben. Arriving at the Frauenstraße, turn to the left and immediately to the right, into the Heimstraße. You will see the northern façades on the former soldiers houses there. Continue till the Seeltor (= Zundeltor) or even the Münchner Straße and come back walking on the wall.
Indications concerning the arrival correspond to our personal knowledge or even experience, but we cannot assume any responsibility for their rightness. When you are reading this page, things may have changed in reality.
Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2012
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Last updated: July 31, 2019
