Malteserturm - Chur, GR, Switserland - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The Maltese Tower is located in the west of the old town of Chur, near the river Plessur. The massive stone tower was the southwestern corner of the city walls, which were built in the 13th century and demolished in the 19th century.

The origin of the name Maltese Tower is not known, it appears to have no known connection to the Maltese Order. The other name of the structure, Powder Tower, is derived from the former use as a municipal gunpowder magazine.

Text on the Sign:
"
Malteserturm. Warum dieses viergeschossige Bau
werk Malteserturm heisst, kann historisch nicht
erklärt werden, zumal sich eine Verbindung zum
so genannten Malteser-Orden nicht belegen lässt.
Aufschlussreicher ist hingegen der frühere Name
des Bauwerks: Pulverturm. Diese Bezeichnung
verdankt das Bauwerk Seiner einstigen Funktion
als Pulvermagazin. Zugleich bildete der Turm
einst auch den südwestlichen Eckpfeiler der Stadt-
mauer, die in der ersten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhun-
derts errichtet wurde. Und noch heute markiert
der Pulverturm den Übergang von Altstadt zur
jüngeren Besiedelung ausserhalb der ehemaligen
Stadtmauern.
"

Google translation:
"
Maltese tower. Why this four-story building
Werk Malteserturm means, historically cannot
be explained, especially since there is a connection to the
so-called Maltese Order cannot be proven.
The earlier name, however, is more revealing
of the structure: Powder Tower. This designation
The building owes its former function
as a powder magazine. At the same time formed the tower
once also the southwest corner pillar of the city
wall, which in the first half of the 13th century
derts was built. And still marked today
the powder tower the transition from old town to
younger settlement outside the former
City walls.
"

Group that erected the marker: City of Chur URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Grabenstrasse 49 Chur , Graubünden Switserland 7000

Visit Instructions:
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Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   08/01/2021 Axel-F visited it