“AMPELENTURM” TOWER

The Gerberbach in the open moat

The road under the bridge, Bachstrasse, was once a stream, the Gerberbach, which flowed through the town’s moat. The medieval town wall turned to the east here, spanning the stream and thus linking the fortress on the hill to the ring-shaped town wall.

The stream passage was secured by an iron gate and a tower, which was called “Ampelenturm”. Its name refers to the well-known Hampil family, whose residence was nearby. In c. 1608 the tower was fortified with an imposing bulwark.

As with many other 19th century cities, the obsolete moat in Schaffhausen too was backfilled and a ring road was built on top of the fill for the ever-increasing traffic. The Ampelenturm tower itself was demolished in 1861.