Nordertor facts for kids
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The Nordertor (say "NOR-der-tor") is a really old town gate in Flensburg, Germany. It was built way back in 1595. Today, this amazing old building is a special symbol for the city of Flensburg.
Contents
The Nordertor: Flensburg's Historic Gate
A Look Back: The Gate's Story
The city of Flensburg started building its protective town wall in 1345. Over time, they added more parts to it. A gate called Norder Porte was built in the northern part of this wall.
Later, around the end of the 1500s, the Nordertor you see today replaced the old Norder Porte. This new gate had cool stepped gables (like stairs on the roofline) and a big archway. Back then, the Nordertor was the very edge of Flensburg to the north. It was like a checkpoint that closed every night.
Messages on the Gate: Plaques and Mottos
If you look closely at the north side of the gate, you'll see two special plaques. The one on the left shows the royal symbol of King Christian IV, who lived from 1577 to 1648. It also has some Latin words: Regna Firmat Pietas. This means "Piety strengthens the Realm."
The plaque on the right has Flensburg's own city symbol. It says in German: Friede ernährt, Unfrieden verzehrt. This wise saying means "Peace nurtures, strife devours." You can also see the date "Renov. 1767" there, which means it was restored in 1767. This happened when Christian VII was king (1749-1808). The left plaque is probably older, maybe even from when the Nordertor was first built.
Growing Beyond the Walls: Flensburg Expands
For a long time, people weren't allowed to build outside the city walls. But in 1796, that rule changed! Flensburg started to grow bigger. A new neighborhood called Neustadt (which means "Newtown") was built right next to the Nordertor.
In 1913 and 1914, the gate got another makeover by an architect named Paul Ziegler. They even added a clock to it! Years later, in 1966, the Deutsche Bundespost (Germany's postal service) put the Nordertor on a 30 Pfennig stamp. Over 3 billion of these stamps were sold for sending letters!
Modern Times: Renovations and New Uses
In the 1990s, the Nordertor was restored again, and the clock was taken off. Today, the gate has a very special use. Since 2004, it's been a licensed place for civil weddings! This means couples can get married in a room right above the gate's archway. How cool is that?
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View from the original site of the Norder Porte to the Nordertor today
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The coats of arms and the mottos (left: REGNA FIRMAT PIETAS; right: FRIEDE ERNæHRT UNFRIEDEVER ZEHRT)
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The Nordertor in 1972
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Flensburg's tramway in front of the Nordertor in 1972
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