StandortTotenhagen
Tylenturm and Totenhagen
Visible from far, situated between Totenhagen and the street "Im Sack", stands the "Tylen-turm", the biggest conserved fortified tower of the inner city wall. Built at the beginning of the 14th century, it belongs to the oldest building in Korbach. The tower was named after the noble family von Tylen (Thülen), who lived in the neighbourhood. The legend of the found-ling at the Tränketor tells of them.
Rests of the walkway are still conserved and partially reconstructed. Thanks to an initiative of the gunners´ guild and contributions of Korbach´s citizens the Tylenturm received in 1996 a new roof and a stairway. For a long time it was also used as a prison. Criminals had to wait here, without light, on bread and water, for the execution of the death penalty. (Periodic sentences did not exist at the time!) The dungeon was only equipped with one hatch. Today you can visit the tower´s interior. All you have to do is pick up the key at the town hall tourist information. From down up there are 129 stairs.
Directly to the west of the Tylenturm lies the "Totenhagen", the oldest cemetery of Korbach. Set out in 1588, funerals were celebrated here until the 20th century. Even today occasionally are still carried out interments in family graves.
© Adil Durakovic/ M. Möller
(Photo: Birgit Emde)
Literatur:
Hans Osterhold: Meine Stadt. Korbacher Bauten erzählen Stadtgeschichte, hrsg. vom Magistrat der Kreisstadt Korbach, 3. Aufl., Korbach 2004.
Ein Rundgang durch die alte Stadt, bearb. von Ursula Wolkers, hrsg. vom Wilhelm Bing Verlag und Magistrat der Stadt Korbach mit Förderung der Sparkassen- stiftung Waldeck-Frankenberg, Korbach 1999.