Leipzig City Gates

After the siege of Leipzig in the Schmalkaldic War, the city fortifications were expanded in the mid-16th century, particularly with the addition of bastions - known here as Bastei.

After Elector Frederick Augustus II had ordered the demolition of the city fortifications in 1763 due to the experience of the Seven Years' War and the loss of their military-strategic importance, their removal began in the 1770s.

Some of the side gates remained for a while, as long as they did not represent an obstacle to traffic and did not stand in the way of the redevelopment of the Vorstadts from the middle of the 19th century.

Town privileges essentially ended for people, traffic, crafts and trade at the city gates.

Due to its favorable location at the intersection of two historic roads and trails in Central Europe, Leipzig was granted special privileges.

The city's staple right and the imperial trade fair privilege granted by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1497, renewed and expanded in 1507, were particularly crucial for the handling of goods.

Such gate receipts are now important historical sources for reconstructing the flow of goods and people into and out of the city over the centuries.

The freedom of movement of people and goods was not unlimited until 1824 and ultimately encountered considerable obstacles at the four inner city gates.

From the 17th century onwards, anyone who wanted to enter or leave the city during closing times had to pay the so-called gate fee.

As night owls in the bars of the vorstadts and villages in the surrounding area (especially Eutritzsch, Gohlis, Reudnitz) they had always rejected the gate tax.

Since the old trade routes Via Regia and Via Imperii crossed in Leipzig, four main gates were assigned to them, which also roughly corresponded to the cardinal points.

Because of the large distances between the city gates, they were mainly used to reach the western promenades facing the river Pleiße.