Deep in Oschatz, a silent sentinel stands. This is the Wachturm. It is not just a tower, but a keeper of secrets. Imagine Oschatz in 1377. A “Vestung” was mentioned. A town watchtower was erected where the museum stands today. This Wachturm was part of that “Vestung”. It was a vantage point to guard the city.
The Wachturm has seen Oschatz grow. It has seen Oschatz suffer. Hussite plundering was a brutal chapter. Fires ravaged the city, but the Wachturm remained. It watched the construction of Oschatz’s first town hall in 1477. The Reformation swept through. The Wachturm stood firm. Letters from Luther and Melanchthon found their way to the Ratsarchiv.
Plague years cast a shadow. Thousands perished but life slowly returned. Post stations rose. Stone markers appeared in 1724. The Seven Years’ War raged. Yet, the Wachturm was a constant. School became compulsory in 1769. The tower may have seen children rushing to learn.
The 19th century brought change. The “Oschatzer Erzähler,” the first newspaper was published. Goethe himself visited. Oschatz became a garrison town. The railway arrived in 1838. Fire struck again in 1842. Still, Oschatz rebuilt. The Wachturm endured.
The 20th century brought darker times. A concentration camp was established briefly in 1933. Oschatz saw a flierhorst built. World War II brought no major destruction. The Wachturm remained a silent observer. From February 1941 to April 1945, the main administration of the Stalag IV G prisoner-of-war camp was here. Tens of thousands of prisoners were distributed for forced labor. Oschatz was handed over to American troops.
After the war Oschatz became part of the Kreis Oschatz. Housing construction began in Oschatz-West in 1976. Oschatz celebrated its 750th anniversary in 1988. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Oschatz was free to elect its own city council. The Wachturm watched over it all.
Today the Wachturm is part of the Stadt- und Waagenmuseum. It stands alongside the Ratsfronfeste. This was erected in 1573/74 and once housed a torture chamber. Also nearby is the Amtsfronfeste. This was erected between 1553 and 1556 as the home of the Fronboten. The Burschenhaus houses the Waagenmuseum.
You can climb the Wachturm today. From the top, you can see Oschatz spread out before you. You can imagine the fires and the battles. Think about the people who stood where you stand. They watched for danger, for opportunity and for change. The Wachturm still stands. It links us to Oschatz’s past. It reminds us that even through turmoil, Oschatz perseveres.