Jülich

Landmark on Roman ground: the Hexenturm (Witches' Tower), originally known as “Rurtor“ gate, is the last remaining of four gates in the medieval city walls of Jülich. Since Roman times, the settlement ended here at the gate; lower-lying areas would have been flooded when the Rur river rose.
The “Rurtor” gate was built at the beginning of the 14th century over the ancient Roman road. Its route can still be seen today: spared by the great Jülich town fire of 1547, the lower part of “Kleine Rurstraße” road still corresponds to the original course of the Via Belgica.

Reused Roman stones can be found in the masonry of the tower. They belonged to a small burial ground that was rediscovered during the construction of the cultural centre at the ”Hexenturm” tower. On the left corner of the inner gatehouse, you can see the gravestone of a Roman veteran who had himself depicted on a dining sofa. On the opposite side of the inner gate building, at medium height, a corner block with a toga wearer can be seen, taken from another Roman tomb.

Today, the cultural centre houses the municipal library and archives, as well as offices and the study collection of the Jülich Citadel Museum. It also houses the art and museum library, which is jointly run with the Jülich Historical Society and contains many documents on the Roman road.