The Hölderlin Tower in Tübingen was named in the late 19th century after the poet Friedrich Hölderlin, who lived there from May 3, 1807, until his death in 1843. The building is one of Tübingen's most famous memorials. The history of the Hölderlin Tower can be traced back to the 13th century. The base of the tower was part of the medieval city wall along the northern bank of the Neckar River. The existence of a house directly adjacent to the tower base has been documented since the early 17th century. An octagonal storey was added to the base in the late 18th century, connecting it under a single roof.
In 1807, the building was acquired by master carpenter Ernst Friedrich Zimmer. That same year, Zimmer took in Hölderlin, whose Hyperion he admired after being discharged from the Autenrieth Hospital as terminally ill. The poet lived there in a modestly furnished room on the first floor of the tower for 36 years.