JUDGEMENT TOWER
The Judgement Tower is a medieval defensive tower that once fortified the south-west corner of the city walls and dates back to the beginning of the 14th century. Its appearance has changed several times, but it was given its present appearance in the aftermath of the Second World War. The most recent renovation in 2021 created two venues: on the ground floor and on the first floor.
The Court or Harbour Tower is a distinctly defensive architecture - its monumental mass guarded the south-west corner of the city walls. Its angular predecessor was built in 1310, but was demolished in 1532. In 1548 - 1562, under the direction of the Italian builders who constructed the Rotovž, the Judgement Tower was rebuilt. At that time, it was one storey lower and covered with a conical roof. In the 19th century, it was raised and used as a warehouse. In 1937 it burnt down, the roof and wooden floors collapsing in the fire. The building was rebuilt from 1957 to 1960, when the roof structure and roofing were reconstructed. In 2021, it was fully restored for events and has since been managed by the Maribor Puppet Theatre.
It was named after the time when it was used for sentencing. It is associated with the witch trials, as women who were found to be witches were sentenced here. The Judgement Tower is also known as the Round Tower because of its shape, and the Convent Tower because of its proximity to the Minorite Monastery. It can be found at the bottom of Maribor's Lent Market.
The Judgement Tower is an important monument of fortification architecture and an indispensable element of the western cityscape with its medieval walls.
