Quote from Wikipedia:
The lowest parts of the tower date from the 13th century, making the structure probably the oldest building in the city. The city tower was probably first mentioned in a document in 1387 in the citizens' register from 1387 to 1403; However, the building mentioned there was simply referred to as a “tower” - without any additional name - so it is unclear whether this is actually the city tower in the modern sense.
In 1571 the top floor of the building was renovated; In addition, two additional octagonal floors and an octagonal onion dome were added to the tower. This roof hood and some of the additional floors were removed again in 1813 because the commander of Rosenberg Fortress, located north of the tower, saw the field of fire that could be seen from there being impaired by the tall structure. In 1819, the current top floor of the approximately 30 m high tower was built, which served as the tower keeper's room until 1916. In addition to his duty to warn the city's residents of fires or approaching enemies, he also had the task of ringing the so-called wine or sleep bell every evening to indicate the impending closing of the city gates.
The tower was used as social housing until 1973, after which it served as a holiday or weekend home for various people from Kronach. In 2010, the city tower was rented to a private individual who restored the roof of the building, which had now become leaky, and the apartment, which was infested with mold, on his own and restored it to approximately the condition in which it appeared around 1900. Whenever the new “city tower keeper” is present in his apartment, the tower can be viewed by interested visitors.