Bachtor
One of the twelve great gates of Cologne's final medieval expansion, built around 1230 in the southwest, later converted into a windmill and demolished in 1883.
since 1230
The Bachtor (in the Cologne dialect "Bachpooz") was one of the twelve large gates built around 1230 during Cologne's last medieval expansion, set into the city's new ring wall. It stood in the southwest of the city at the end of the street Am Weidenbach, on the section of wall then called Kartäuserwall (renamed Pantaleonswall in 1883).
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Built
- around 1230, first mentioned in 1241
- Location
- southwestern Cologne, at the end of the street Am Weidenbach
- Purpose
- a local entrance and exit, not a major arterial road; the passage was walled up as early as 1538 except for a small door
- Later use
- converted into a tower windmill from 1730 (the "Bach" or "Pantaleon" mill)
- Demolished
- July 1883
- Notable
- named after the Duffesbach (also Hürtherbach), the stream that entered the city here
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
Name and Location
The gate stood at the end of a street first called "Off der weschbach" and later renamed Am Weidenbach. Its name came from the Duffesbach stream, which flowed in from the surrounding hills and entered the city at this point. The new wall brought the district of St. Pantaleon Abbey inside the city, and the Bachtor became its field-side entrance. Unlike the neighbouring Weyertor, it did not lead onto a major road, so traffic stayed light. Already in 1538 the passage was bricked up except for a small doorway.
From City Gate to Windmill
In 1730 the medieval gate was rebuilt: the central structure was taken down above the first upper floor, the flanking towers were shortened, and a round mill tower was set on top. The building now reached about 32 metres in height and carried the year 1730 in large wrought-iron numerals on its city side. In 1832 the mill was auctioned into private hands; in 1860 the tower burned out entirely. When the street Am Weidenbach was to be extended, the ruin stood in the way and was pulled down in July 1883 — during the demolition work on 27 July 1883 a municipal main gas pipe was even destroyed.
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-08-17
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