The Tenth Tower

At the southern end of the city stands the Zehnerturm. The ring wall on the Rhine side bent at this tower at a right angle towards the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). The Zehnerturm is the youngest tower of the city fortifications. It was not until the middle of the 14th century that the southern suburb of Kirchhausen with the Liebfrauenkirche was included in the ring of walls. Older wall remains in the gateway indicate that there was already a tower here before. The tower served less for the defense of the town than for the electors of Trier as a customs tower. Customs duties were important sources of income for the sovereigns on the Rhine. From Koblenz to Bingen alone there were 16 customs stations. On this short stretch, two thirds of the value of the goods often had to be paid as customs duty. The toll tower was connected to a small harbor by a wall. This was secured by a bulwark. At that time, the harbor was located approximately where the railroad runs today. This is how close the Rhine once came to the town. The old road, which can be seen in the gateway, did not lead into the city. It was part of the towpath. This was a farm road that always ran along the banks of the river. On it, horses or people on long lines pulled the ships upstream. Hence the name Leinpfad.