A brief history

To this day, it is impossible to answer questions about when this building was built or for what purpose. One version claims that it is a remnant of the old castle, which existed here even before the location of the city. Another idea is that, located at the lowest point of the old city, the tower served as the city gate. A third, finally, states that the tower was built as the city’s bell tower. This was, after all, the role it played from the 15th century until World War II.

In 1858, during the great fire in the city, the upper part of the tower was destroyed. After the fire, the city authorities intended to demolish it completely, but it was eventually decided that the overburnt part of the structure would be rebuilt. It was then that it received a dovetail finial. After reconstruction, the height of the tower is 34 meters. A small tower with a spiral staircase was added to it on the south side. The work was completed on October 11, 1860.

Why is the Leaning Tower crooked?

It is not known exactly why the tower tilted. It is widely believed that the cause may have been the tectonic upheaval that was recorded in our area on September 15, 1590. It is possible, however, that the cause could have been the thawing of the ground, which caused the foundation to settle. There is also a well-known legend explaining the slope of the tower. It tells of the events of 1858, when an expert examination of the foundations was made after the great fire in the city. The findings astonished experts. After all, based on them it was concluded that the tower could have been built leaning from the beginning. Well, such was the fantasy of the builders, who wanted Ząbkowice to have a unique and inimitable building. Reportedly, back in the 19th century, the part of the tower that was consumed by the great fire bore an inscription made by the builder’s hand: “Ich heiß Johannes Gleiß, hab diesen Turm schieff gebaut mit Fleiß”. (My name is Johannes Gleiß, I built this crooked tower with diligence). Unfortunately, when the upper story of the tower was rebuilt after the great fire, the inscription was destroyed.

Leaning Tower Today

The current deviation of the tower from the vertical is 2.12 meters. It is worth mentioning that back when measurements were taken in 1977, the deviation was found to be 1.98 meters. Today the Leaning Tower serves as a lookout point.

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