Station: [6] Cleves Gate

In the history of Xanten, there have always been wars between the Electorate of Cologne and Cleves. For this reason, the Archbishop of Cologne, Frederick III, came to Xanten on 11th March 1389 with craftsmen, soldiers and workers to build a stone fortress. Today, this double gate in front of you rises above the city moat. Until the 18th Century, a drawbridge prevented enemies from gaining access to the city. As you can see, the Cleves Gate, first officially mentioned in a 1392 document, consists of two towers. The gate belongs to the type of gate, through which the road passes at ground level. Today’s road to the second gate, the so-called Owl Tower, was at that time a drawbridge, which was demolished in the 18th Century. The drawbridge crossed the deep city moat. The old former city moat is now a municipal park encircling Xanten. For many years, with effect from 1770, the Cleves Gate was used as a prison. The hotly debated demolition of the gate almost 70 years later was prevented by the Xanten City Council. After the Second World War the upper floors had to be rebuilt, however, the original ground floor is still intact. As both the Archbishop of Cologne and the Count of Cleves assumed responsibility for Xanten over a protracted period, we find the coats of arms of both gentlemen on the Cleves Gate. If you walk through the Cleves Gate, you can see these two coats of arms on the far side of the tower, above the archway. Let’s take a closer look at the two coats of arms. It is interesting to note that from the heraldic point of view the coat of arms on the left, that of the Count of Cleves, is still legible. However, the coat of arms on the right that once belonged to the Cologne sovereign is in a deplorable state of repair. Since both coats of arms were mounted at the same time, one would expect them both to be in the same condition. The art historian Udo Mainzer supported the following hypothesis: In 1444, Xanten was occupied by the young Duke of Cleves. It is said, that as a sign of his victory, he defaced the coat of arms of the archbishop. Thus, the Cleves Gate not only drew its name from its orientation towards Cleves, but it also bore the coat of arms of the Dukes of Cleves symbolising their supremacy.