Turm Jerusalem (Jerusalem Tower), Trier

The Jerusalem Tower (Turm Jerusalem) stands as a testament to Trier’s medieval architecture, dating back approximately a thousand years to the 11th century. Once a fortified residential structure within the Walderdorff Palace complex on Domfreihof Square, it was likely built from repurposed Roman building materials, showcasing Trier’s long-standing tradition of architectural continuity. Originally taller with six floors, the tower was later modified extensively; its height was reduced by the removal of two floors and the merlon-capped top, while its windows were enlarged during 19th-century renovations.

Historical records mention the tower's destruction in 1147, followed by a rapid repair for Pope Eugene III’s visit, reflecting its enduring significance. The Jerusalem Tower’s layout included slit windows on the ground floor (discovered buried during renovations in 1999) and distinctive double arcade windows similar to those in the nearby Franco's Tower (Frankenturm). Inside, the remnants of a stone spiral staircase winding through the walls and an elevated entrance on the third floor provide glimpses of its original defensive design.

Today, however, the tower has traded its forbidding medieval essence for a more approachable function as a registry office, with the wedding hall housed on the upper floor. Though it has lost its original defensive elements, the Jerusalem Tower, like Trier’s other fortified residential towers—Three Kings House (Dreikonigenhaus), Franco’s Tower, and Konviktsturm—remains a cherished relic of the city’s medieval past, adapted to a modern role of celebration and union.