The Perlachturm - bears, view and the Turamichele
With its 70 meters, the Perlachturm is one of the tallest buildings in Augsburg. In 989 it was built as a watchtower. At that time, he was not even half as tall as he is today. Over the centuries, he experienced numerous transformations. In 1526 he was raised to 63 feet. Shortly thereafter, the tower received a clockwork with bell. When city master builder Elias Holl rebuilt the town hall, he also put his hand to the Perlachturm tower. So he received from 1612 to 1618 its present appearance with the pillar dome, the onion roof and the attached figure of the Suebian city goddess Cisa.
Where the name "Perlach" comes from is controversial today. Common are three theories:
- On a sign in the tower is, the name comes from the Latin "perlego" (read). This should be due to the fact that on the square in front of the tower official statements were read.
- Particularly popular is the opinion that the name comes from the old German terms "Per" for bear and "laugh" for celebration or dance. Accordingly, the forecourt would have been used for traditional festivals in the Middle Ages with dancing bears. The bears had been kept in the latticed base of the tower.
- A third theory is that at this point a Roman legion once lost a battle. "Perdita legio" means as much as "lost legion"
Since none of the three theories is historically proven, the origin of the name will probably remain a mystery forever.