Diebsturm (Thieves' Tower) Lindau

Diebsturm, Lindau
The thief tower and its colorful roof
The islanders owe the fact that the tower still exists at all to the Ravensburg master mason Johann Jacob Götzger, who bought the building in 1817 for 250 guilders and thus saved it from demolition. Götzger also saved the tower of the nearby St. Peter's Church, which was built around the year 1000 and is one of the oldest churches on Lake Constance, from decay. Together with the former bell foundry and the arsenal, St. Peter's Church and the thief's tower form a picturesque medieval ensemble.
Lindau's former city prison used to be called the Malefiz Tower; the Latin term "maleficus" stood for malicious, evil-doing and godless, the expression "maleficium" for outrage and crime. In Malefiz towers like the Lindau thief tower, the crooks had to do penance for their bad deeds.
Text: City of Lindau
lindau.de/adressen/diebsturm

The round tower, built around 1380, was used as a prison for a long time and naturally offered little comfort on its four floors with a diameter of eight meters.
While the inmates were supposed to gain moral insight, the guards benefited from the good view: Built on the island's highest point, Schrannenplatz, the 35-metre high thief's tower has always offered the best view of the surrounding area.
The islanders owe the fact that the tower still exists at all to the master bricklayer Johann Jacob Götzger, who bought the building in 1817 for 250 guilders and thus saved it from demolition. Götzger also saved the tower of the nearby St. Peter's Church, which was built around the year 1000 and is one of the oldest churches on Lake Constance, from decay. Together with the former bell foundry and the arsenal, St. Peter's Church and the thief's tower form a picturesque medieval ensemble.

Lindau's former city prison used to be called the Malefiz Tower; the Latin term "maleficus" stood for malicious, evil-doing and godless, the expression "maleficium" for outrage and crime. In Malefiz towers like the Lindau thief tower, the crooks had to do penance for their bad deeds.
Source: lindau.de/addresses/diebsturm

The round tower, built around 1380, was used as a prison for a long time and naturally offered little comfort on its four floors with a diameter of eight meters.
Built on the island's highest point, Schrannenplatz, the 35-meter high tower has always offered the best view of the surrounding area. The half-timbered corner towers of the octagonal roof, which was renovated in 2013, point in all four directions.

Unfortunately, the tower can only be viewed from the outside.