The oldest building in Ahrweiler and now a protected monument
The White Tower is an architecturally remarkable building and is a residential tower from the second half of the 13th century. This makes it the oldest building in the town of Ahrweiler and it now functions as a town museum. The tower is also known locally as the "Old Building".
The start of construction of the White Tower dates back to 1269 and can be determined from the scaffolding timbers. The tower, built on a square ground plan, consists of three storeys and was constructed from plastered quarry stone. A Gothic spire originally adorned the building, but was replaced around 1663 by an Italian Baroque dome with a lantern-like top.
The building consists of a three-storey white plastered tower house with rectangular windows. The baroque roof dates back to the late 17th century, while the two-storey extension was only built in the 18th century. There is still a small chapel on the ground floor today.
In the hallway of the White Tower, visitors can see the coats of arms of the individual owners and former sovereigns.
owners and former sovereigns are presented to visitors. On the right-hand side
side are the coats of arms of the individual owners, while on the
left-hand side are the coats of arms of the historical sovereigns.
The Counts of Are were the sovereigns from 1100 to 1246, after which
the area became part of the Electorate of Cologne from 1246 to 1794. Subsequently it was
Prussian and finally, from 1947, part of the territory of
Rhineland-Palatinate. The museum offers visitors a comprehensive
overview of the history of the city region, which spans over two thousand
years - from Roman times to the modern era.
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