The Martinstor (English ''Martin's Gate''), a former town fortification on

Kaiser-Joseph-Straße The Kaiser-Joseph-Straße (often shortened to ''Kajo'') in Freiburg im Breisgau is a High Street, shopping street of about 900 meters, which runs through the center of Freiburg's historic downtown from north to south. It is one of the most exp ...

, is the older of the two gates of

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

, Germany, that have been preserved since medieval times. Both gates, the Martinstor and the Schwabentor, are located in the city centre. In medieval times the Martinstor was also known as ''Norsinger Tor''.

History

According to dendrochronological research the wooden beams date back to the year 1202; the gate was first given documentary evidence in 1238 as ''"Porta Sancti Martini"'' (Latin ''Gate of the Holy Martin''). Over the centuries it has been reconstructed several times. At one time, it also served as a prison and it was said of its occupants that they had donned "The Cloak of Martin". From the 17th century on the side of the gate facing the city was decorated with a picture of

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...

. During this time, due to the construction and leveling of the suburbs by

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban Sébastien is a common French given name. It is a French form of the Latin name ''Sebastianus'' meaning "from Sebaste". Sebaste was a common placename in classical Antiquity, derived from the Greek word ''σεβαστος'', or ''sebastos'', mea ...

, the gate's link to the city was lost. Thus, Salzstraße served as the main access road from Höllental. There have been numerous restorations of the picture, the most recent of which was in 1851 by Wilhelm Dürr. In 1968/69 the picture was removed. To date the local town council has still not been able to decide on a new image. As a result there remains a blank spot in honour of the conflicts between the Freiburg Civil Defence and the French Revolutionary Forces. The Martinstor underwent its biggest change in 1901. By this point, the surrounding buildings surmounted the old city gate and the old passageway had become too small for the growing city and the new tram infrastructure. Having momentarily considered demolition, the city council opted instead to modify the building. Under the direction of Carl Schäfer the tower was heightened from 22 to 60 metres and a new roof construction in the architectural style of the 15th century was added. An additional gate with a larger thoroughfare, designed in the same architectural style, was erected next to the original gate. A German

Reichsadler The ' (; "Imperial Eagle") is the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors, later by the Emperors of Austria and in modern coat of arms of Austria and Germany. The term is also translated as "Rei ...

was painted on the outer facade of the gate above the emblems of Freiburg and of the nearby region of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

, before it was removed in 1951. A replication of a baroque sandstone plate depicting the

Double-headed eagle The double-headed eagle is an Iconology, iconographic symbol originating in the Bronze Age. The earliest predecessors of the symbol can be found in Mycenaean Greece and in the Ancient Near East, especially in Mesopotamian and Hittite Empire#icon ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

was later installed.

Present

Next to the archway, facing the city center, there is a tablet commemorating the burning of witches in Freiburg on which three names are engraved: ''Marghareta Mößmer'', ''Catharina Stadelmann'' and ''Anna Wolffart''. These women, all citizens of Freiburg, were executed in 1599. Inside the western part of the arch, which was built in 1901, is the entrance to a

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

. The city council of Freiburg could not keep the company from putting up their sign, located above the archway, but could prevent the prominent red and yellow of the same in favour of a more neutral design. The ''Freiburger Markthalle'', the ''Theater am Martinstor (TAM)'' and the ''Martinsbräu'' are all located in the ''Martinsgässle'', a side street near the arch.

External links

* {{commonscat-inline, Martinstor (Freiburg im Breisgau) Buildings and structures in Freiburg im Breisgau Tourist attractions in Freiburg im Breisgau Gates in Germany