Schnallentor

The buckle gate was most likely built in the first half of the 16th century as part of Steyr’s city walls in the area between Steyrdorf and Tabor (today’s Gleinkergasse and Franklin-D.-Roosevelt-Straße).The sgraffito artwork, which is similar to that of the Innerberger Stadel, dates from 1613, as shown by the year visible on the gate construction.

The term “buckle” refers to an old coin.Schnellentor derives its name from its historical function as a toll station: anybody entering the city in a carriage had to pay a pavement toll.The top half of Gleinkergasse is still known as Schnalberg.Steyr’s pavement and bridge tolls were abolished on January 1, 1920 (November 4, 1919 vote of the Upper Austrian state legislature).

Although the construction features embrasures on the top floor, they are unlikely to be strategically significant.Following the fall of the city wall in 1857, the buckle gate was requested to be demolished again in 1875, but the municipal council rejected this with a razor-thin majority.A second attempt in 1887 failed, most likely because of the significant historical significance as well as the rooms provided.Shortly after, the building was totally repaired and restored to its original shape, including the sgraffito. In 1952, they were refurbished once more. The present walkway that surrounds the gate was constructed in 1973. After repairing the gate’s foundation in 2017, the goal for 2018 was to refurbish the facade and vault.