Consider the Swabian Gate not just as stone and mortar but as a portal. It is a portal through time. This gate whispers tales of merchants, medieval defenses, and hidden treasures. The Swabian Gate, also known as Obertor in the Middle Ages, is one of Freiburg’s two remaining medieval city gates.
Built around 1250, the Swabian Gate originally faced inward. It only got enclosed with a stone wall in 1547. A stair turret was added in 1572. That same year, Matthias Schwäri painted a merchant with a cart on the inner wall of the Swabian Gate. This sparked a legend in the 19th century.
The legend tells of a Swabian man who arrived in Freiburg. He had two barrels supposedly full of gold. He intended to buy the town with it. But alas, the barrels contained only sand and pebbles. The citizens ridiculed him. His penny-pinching wife had secretly replaced the gold with worthless fillings. She did this before his departure. Legend says that this is how the Swabian Gate got its name. Since the 17th century, the salt merchant and his wagon have adorned the inside of the town gate.
Until 1900, the Swabian Gate remained mostly unchanged. Then, it almost doubled in height. Carl Schäfer designed the changes. The gate got equipped with a crow-stepped gable. It was modeled on city towers of Northern Germany. In 1903, Fritz Geiges added a painting of Freiburg’s city patron. Saint George is depicted as a dragon hunter on the exterior of the Swabian Gate. Conversions ended in 1913 with the building of historicized annexes. The conversion was partially undone in 1954. The Swabian Gate got a simpler tented roof. It resembled the original one. A bell turret with an onion dome was added.
Look closely at the keystone of the inner arch of the Swabian Gate. It shows a Romanesque depiction of the “Boy with Thorn”. This antique figurine has a Christian interpretation. It signifies that man walks the earth with the thorn of original sin. Whoever passes through the Swabian Gate should remember this.
The square next to the Swabian Gate has an unofficial name. It is called Platz der letzten Barrikade von 1848. On Easter Monday of 1848, a volunteer association was defeated. The government troops of the Grand Duke of Baden overpowered them.
Since 1969, the Swabian Gate houses a small private museum. It is named the Zinnfigurenklause. This translates to Tin Figure Nook. The museum displays scenes of the region’s history. About 9,000 tin figures in dioramas depict freedom movements. They showcase the Battle of Sempach, peasant revolts, and the 1848 Revolution in Baden. Also, the time of the Protestant Reformation.
The Swabian Gate stands on the border of the pedestrian zone. A tram line passes through it. The annex is reserved for trams, bikers, taxis, and local residents. Other traffic goes past its right-hand side. The adjacent Swabian Gate Bridge connects the Freiburg Salt Road and Schlossberg.
So, as you stand before the Swabian Gate, remember its layers of history. Consider the Swabian merchant’s failed attempt to buy Freiburg. Note the “Boy with Thorn” and the tin figures within. The Swabian Gate is more than just a structure. It is a symbol of Freiburg’s past and enduring spirit.