Der Weiße Turm

Der Weiße Turm (German: The White Tower) is a historical landmark located on the Ernst-Ludwig-Straße opposite the Friedenplatz in Darmstadt.

A view of the tower from Ernst-Ludwig-Straße

It can be accessed by the public on specific days (one needs to check the website). A climb up the spiral staircase leads to different tower levels, where one can get fantastic city views.

A view of Ernst-Ludwig-Straße from the tower

A view of Friedenplatz from the tower

A view of Residenzschloss from the tower.

Also, at each level, photos depicting the various stages in the life of this tower and its history are displayed. These give the visitor a sense of how this tower came to be. The tower even has a dungeon in the basement, and many legends are associated with this dungeon. You can read about these stories here:

https://www.weisser-turm-da.de/geschichte

Like many other monuments in Darmstadt, this tower, too, has a history.

The History of Der weiße Turm

Der Weiße Turm is one of the last remnants of the old city fortifications that protected Darmstadt from 1330. For more than 300 years, it served as a watch tower and looked very different from today’s.

The tower before it was given a new look

At the beginning of the 18th century, when Landgrave Ernst Ludwig built the new suburb and levelled the city walls, the tower lost its purpose. It was decided that the tower should be used as a Bell Tower. Two bells were installed, one of which was only rung when someone from the royal family passed away. The dome we see today was also added as a part of these changes.

The tower was badly damaged during the Second World War bombing. As part of the restoration activity, the dome was restored, a floor was added, and the outer wall received a nice coat of white paint.

Der Weiße Turm today:

Just like the Ludwigs Monument in Luisenplatz, this tower was proposed to be demolished as it stood in the middle of the street, blocking the traffic. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Later, there were proposals to convert the tower into a cafe, which did not fructify either. Today, the tower is a historical monument that the public can visit. Entry to the tower is free, but one can support it by donating.

Freundeskreis Weißer Turm manages and takes care of the tower. They organize exhibitions and cultural events in the tower.