Hallthurm

Across the centuries, the Hallthurm has stood guard. It’s not just a tower, but a silent witness to the struggles and triumphs of the Berchtesgadener Land. The Hallthurm, built in 1194, gets its name from its very purpose: a “Turm gegen Hall”, a tower against the neighboring town of Hall, now Bad Reichenhall. This sturdy structure, with its two-meter-thick walls, was erected after a bitter conflict over salt. The Reichenhall citizens, envious of Berchtesgaden’s burgeoning salt production, attacked and destroyed the monastery’s salt works. The Hallthurm, along with the Althaus gatehouse, formed a crucial defense against further incursions. Imagine the townspeople manning these defenses. They maintained not only the tower, but also the “Hag”, a thorny barrier of woven branches and earthworks that stretched across the pass. The Hallthurm isn’t just a tower; it’s part of a larger fortification. This fortification controlled the narrowest point between the Untersberg and Lattengebirge mountains, the most accessible entry point into Berchtesgaden from Germany. This strategic importance is highlighted by Kaiser Heinrich VI’s mention of it in a document from that same year, 1194, referring to it as “the gate, which in the forest closes against Reichenhall.” Over the centuries, the Hallthurm saw its share of conflict. It was pledged to the Archbishopric of Salzburg in the 14th century. Later, during the Napoleonic Wars, Tyrolean troops occupied the tower in 1805. It was during this time that the defenses were likely last reinforced. With Berchtesgaden’s incorporation into the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1810, the Hallthurm’s military significance faded. However, its story continues. The 19th century brought a new era for the Hallthurm, one of transportation. The construction of the road and railway line required significant changes. The Althaus gatehouse was demolished in 1876, and a portion of the protective wall had to make way for the railway. The tower itself was even converted into a railway worker’s dwelling. While some parts are gone, remnants of the original fortifications remain. Sections of the 1.5-meter-thick, 4-meter-high wall that once stretched across the steep slopes still cling to the mountainside. You can still see echoes of the Althaus gatehouse and even the short-lived Hagenfels Castle. Today, the Hallthurm stands as a testament to the region’s tumultuous history. It’s a reminder of the conflicts over precious resources and the strategic importance of this mountain pass.