The Bremen Tower and Passage
I am the Bremen Tower. I am not named after northern German city but named after a resident – who was also known as Bremer.
I was built at the beginning of the 15th century. I was four floors high and, which is common in my city – built with a horseshoe shaped base plan. My neighbour next to me, the Tower Behind the Monks, exists to this day. However, much further away, on the other side – is another preserved tower, the Tower Behind Hattorp. The Small Coastal Gate located by the old Russian church has been destroyed or demolished.
In the Middle Ages, I was also known as Bremen de Vange Konge! The two lower floors housed a prison, which used to be accessible from the second floor. The current entrance on the Vene Street side, was built much later. The prison room had no lighting, it had poor ventilation, a toilet and iron rings on the wall. The third and fourth floor had gun ports and fireplaces.
In the 16th century, I had a new owner, and I became known as the Kampferbeck Tower after my owner. The two lower floors were maintained as a prison until the 17th century, but they were later converted into a gunpowder warehouse. By the way, prisons have also been located across the street from me – in the buildings at Vene Street 23 and 25. I watched how the communist girl Villu Klementi escaped from that building, through the chimney, at the beginning of the Republic. She was captured immediately, because she was covered in soot which made her very noticeable.
Later, at the end of the 19th century, I went into the hands of the owner of the neighbouring property – Girard de Soucanton, the king of cement during the Czarist period. He started to use me as a warehouse. I was then joined to his living quarters, commonly known as Suka-Anton, as an expansion of his main building. It is right next to me and leads to the Bremen Passage. The passage connects Uus and Vene Streets. Over the years there have been bars, as well as restaurants located here.
During the war my exterior basement was hit and restored ten years later. Villem Raam and Rein Zobel, our art history gurus, believe that I have never had a roof and that the platform was used as a base for a catapult or stone thrower. Younger historians believe I had a roof. Currently, I am still able to speak without a head covering. I am also, currently, the last tower that the city has restored!