Kuhtor
Built around 1350, the Kuhtor is the only surviving tower gate of Kempen's original four city gates.
The gate tower is part of Kempen's listed city fortification and was formerly known as the St Nicholas Gate. In the late 19th century the plain defensive structure was given a Neo-Gothic makeover.
At a glance
- Built
- around 1350
- Restoration & extension
- 1896–1898, designed by Heinrich Wiethase
- Distinction
- the only surviving tower gate of the original four city gates
- Former name
- St Nicholas Gate
- Address
- Kuhtor 18, Kempen
- Heritage protection
- since 26 September 1983, monument no. 3a
- Part of
- the reconstructed city fortification
History & fortification
The gate tower was built around 1350 as part of Kempen's city fortification. The defensive works were razed in the 18th century, and today's monument is a partial reconstruction of the complex together with its functionally related remains. These include the remnants of two city gates, a defensive mill and smaller ancillary buildings such as watch houses, a garden house, a dwelling and a former guardhouse. Of the four original city gates, only the Kuhtor has survived as a tower gate.
Name & Saint Nicholas
The name derives from a former cattle droving route along which cows were once driven from their stables to the pastures to the north. Earlier the gate was known as the St Nicholas Gate: a modern figure of Saint Nicholas above the gateway recalls that this was the point of departure for the Nicholas Chapel at "Schloot", a border crossing into the Duchy of Guelders.
The 1896–1898 rebuild
Between 1896 and 1898 the tower was restored and extended to designs by the architect Heinrich Wiethase. Among other changes it gained an additional storey with Neo-Gothic turrets and oriels, which give the medieval defensive structure its present-day appearance.
Gallery
Map
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Address
Kuhstraße 18
47906 Kempen
Hours
So: 00:00–24:00
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Sources & links
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-07-06)
- openstreetmap.org (retrieved 2026-07-06)
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-07-08)
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-08)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-08
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