F: Respect -- that's what you feel like telling the owner of the house behind the old town wall. Show some respect for that ancient structure.
M: Next, we’d like to tell you the unbelievable story of the pastor, the Fox Tower and the old town wall.
F: Behind the town wall, which adjoins the old Fox Tower on both sides, there’s a property once owned by the local clergy. Which is why the tower is sometimes referred to as Pfarrgartenturm, Parsonage Garden Tower. In the remote past, the place was home to a sun-worshipping pastor, who was extremely irritated by the lack of sunshine in his garden. So without further ado, he dismantled the upper part of the historic 15th century town wall.
M: But that wasn’t all: like many fortified towers, the Fox Tower had its entrance almost six metres or twenty feet above the ground. Too high! thought the pastor, and had an entrance at ground-level knocked into the historic tower – so he could use it as a garden shed.
F: Seen from our present point of view, that tale is beyond belief. Even the tower was originally taller – as tall as the White Horse Tower near the town hall. Over the centuries, the upper floors were gradually dismantled. In the past, people just weren’t that bothered about the conservation of historic buildings.
M: Today, both the old town wall and the Fox Tower are listed monuments.
F: Next, we’re going to show you exactly the opposite: a house that’s been lovingly restored, based on historical models and using traditional building materials . You’ll find it at Wermutshäuser Strasse number 9.
Fotos: © Trüpschuch
