They are located in the rose garden, the only park within the Soest ramparts. From here, the Kattenturm is clearly visible as the last remaining full-height fortified tower. So-called air raid shelters can also be discovered on this section of the rampart.
In the High Middle Ages, the area that is now the Rose Garden was part of the field of fire, which offered the city's defenders a clear view of attackers from the city wall. After the fortifications lost their function, the area was used for private gardens until the Second World War. It was only after the Second World War that the rose garden was created in several construction phases. The site was renovated in 2020 as part of the rampart development concept. Its basic structure and pathways were largely retained. An air-raid shelter tunnel was uncovered in 2020 during work to widen the wall passage at the rose garden. The people of Soest built this 60-metre-long tunnel during the Second World War in 1943 to create an additional shelter in the event of air raids. The tunnel is accessible on guided tours. In this section of the rampart, clear traces of the building's history can be seen on the outer wall. The battlements of the oldest city wall are still visible about half a meter below the current parapet edge. The battlements were later walled up to increase the overall fortification. The Kattenturm tower is characteristic of Soest and this section of the wall in particular. It was first mentioned in 1627 as the "Katzenturm". It was equipped with four 2.90-metre-high storeys, which were accessible via ladders from the town side. The holes for the supporting beams of the storey ceilings are still visible today. Embrasures close off the 14.50 meter high tower at the top.
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