Ponttor in Aachen, Germany
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The Ponttor Gate is the northwest gate tower of the city wall of Aachen. The gate is presented in the form of a four-storey rectangular tower with an arched gate. The barbican, adjoining the tower on the northeast side, consists of a front gate connected to the main gate by battlements. The gate was erected at the beginning of the 14th century. For many centuries, the Ponttor gate, along with the Jacob gate, the Cologne gate and the Marschiertor tower, were the main gate of the second ring of the Aachen walls, built at the turn of the XIV – XV centuries. The gate was used not only as a defensive structure, it also housed a tax collection point, some premises were used as a prison. In the 18th century, the tower housed a school. In 1880 the authorities planned to demolish the building, but the gate remained intact. In 1910, a number of restoration works were carried out in the building, after which a historical museum was located in the tower. During the Second World War, the gate was seriously damaged, and the barbican was completely destroyed. In 1947, the tower began to be used as a youth hostel. Five years later, the building housed the Union of German Pathfinders. The gate was reconstructed in 1973, and the barbican was also completely recreated.  
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