The Assauwe Tower

In days gone by, city people used to live together with their prized livestock, animals were a part of daily life. Not just living with cats and dogs, like today, but people lived with horses, cows, pigs, and other domestic animals. Animals were of vital importance. In warmer periods, the animals would leave the city each day to head to the pastures – and they moved along the wall through the Herd Gate. The towers of the Herd Gate were my good neighbours until they were demolished in the 19^th century. It is believed that I was named after the shepherd, Assauwe or Asso. He might have even been an Estonian.

I was initially built as a two-floor square, on the exterior side of the south wall, but about a century later, the wall was broken through and another floor was added. I was then converted into a horseshoe shape. I have also been called the Beverman and Buchaus Tower, after the owners of the building.

Much later, in the 19^th century, there was a horse stable on my first floor. The conservatory later moved into the tower and since 1934, the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum has been active in the Assauwe Tower – and the building connected to it. There is also a courtyard behind me, which is called the Asso Court or Shepherds Yard.