![\"Dicker](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-1024x718.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDicke Turm – worth knowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Around 1250, the expansion of G\u00f6rlitz led to the construction of a new city fortification. In addition to the city wall, four towers were built (three of which are still preserved today: Nikolaiturm, Reichenbacher Turm, Dicker Turm\/Frauenturm) and the city gates. The tower is known by several names: Stone Tower, Women’s Tower, Thick Tower. Together with the gate next to it, it formed the southern portal of the town. From there, one could get to the women’s monastery outside the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1529, the watchman on the tower at that time was given a tower room with a chamber. He had to work 12 hours a day and had the task of keeping a lookout for fire and enemies. In addition, he had to ring the bell every 15 minutes shortly after the town hall clock sounded. At night, a night watchman would pass by the tower and call out to make sure that the tower watchman was not asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the course of time, the protective structures were gradually altered and partly dismantled. For example, the portcullis, the inner gates and, in 1847\/48, the women’s gate and the bridge over the moat were removed. The moat was also filled in. It was not until 1904 that the town guards on the towers in G\u00f6rlitz were abolished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tower has largely retained its appearance to this day. In the 16th century, the originally open gallery was closed and the copper bonnet of the roof was made in the Renaissance style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students from the G\u00f6rlitz-Zittau University of Engineering used the tower from 1974 until February 1998.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They built a caf\u00e9 on the first floor, in the former T\u00fcrmerstube. When evening came, the caf\u00e9 closed and a disco opened its doors on the second floor of the tower. Here, people danced and partied until the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to fire safety regulations, the students had to stop operating in the tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From 2000-2006, the tower stood unused in G\u00f6rlitz. Since 2007, the F\u00f6rderverein Kulturstadt G\u00f6rlitz-Zgorzelec has been managing the Dicken Turm and regularly offers guided tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tours of the Dicken Turm start at the top of the hour. While we waited, there was plenty of time to look at the tower from the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In front of us is a massive 46-metre high white plastered tower. At one point there is a door about 45 centimetres above the pavement, at another point a curved steel staircase leads up to another door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n High up we discovered a sandstone relief. Later we learned that this relief represents the coat of arms that Emperor Sigismund granted to the city after it had stood faithfully by the crown during the Hussite wars. In addition to the coat of arms, Mary and Saint Barbara are depicted, as well as the inscription “Invia Virtuti Nulla Est Via”, which translates as “no path is impossible for bravery”. The tour starts at the lower door. After a step was placed in front of the door for easier access and we had paid our entrance fee, an exciting and varied tour of the tower began. What was particularly nice was that the tour also told us very vividly about the use of the tower in GDR times, partly from our own memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So now we were standing in the tower and were in a room that was once a powder magazine and prison. Only through the door was there any daylight, and I found the room cramped and very oppressive. It is hard to imagine that 8 people were sitting in the dungeon without any light. If they had shouted, they certainly could not have been heard at the foot of the tower, where the walls were 5.34 metres thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, the stay here was only short and we went up the outside staircase on the other side of the tower to the upper tower area. A total of 138 steps lead up to the top platform of the Thick Tower. Some of the stairs have since been replaced by a modern steel construction, others are still made of wood and quite well-worn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thickness of the wall within the tower continues to taper towards the top, so that the area for use also becomes larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we arrived on the first floor, I imagined what the caf\u00e9 must have looked like in the past. There are small niches in the wall below the windows, and if there were tables there, it must have been a dream to sit there and enjoy the view over G\u00f6rlitz. From each of the tower windows, a different view of the city opens up and one discovers one or two sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Climbing up one flight of stairs, one stands in the former disco or, if one thinks back even further, the turret lived and worked here as well. Above us lay the large roof beams, a false ceiling closes off the area where the bells hang. Here, too, one finds numerous small windows that can be opened to provide a view over the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to many stories about the tower and explanations about the view over the city, you can take a look at a reconstructed turret kitchen and some old pictures. For us, a successful tower climb that brought us a little closer to the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marienplatz \/ Ecke Steinstra\u00dfe Visit only possible with a guided tour (duration 45 minutes, meeting point at the tower without reservation) Adults:4,00 \u20ac In G\u00f6rlitz you can find some remains of the historic city fortifications. We were particularly interested in the towers and so we explored the “Dicken Turm” during our tower tour.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[321],"tags":[218],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"T\u00fcrmerstube\"](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-treppe-zur-2-etage-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe student tower<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dicker](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-studententurm-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Rundgang](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-rundgang-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTower tour \u201eDicker Turm\u201c<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dicker](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-relief-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Originally, the relief was attached to the Lady’s Gate and found its place on the tower in 1856.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Enger](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-blick-pulverkammer-decke-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Dicker](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-erste-etage-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Aussicht](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-ausblick-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Blick](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-blick-zu-peter-und-paul-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Blick](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-blick-kaufhaus-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Stadtblick](\"https:\/\/vonortzuort.reisen\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/goerlitz-dicker-turm-stadtblick-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAddress:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
G\u00f6rlitz<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpening hours:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mid-March – end of December<\/strong>
Thursday-Sunday: 12-17 h (always on the hour)<\/p>\n\n\n\nAdmission fee:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Discounts are offered<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"