A little history of Germans gate in Metz
And also
The tops
In 1240, Metz city get a new surrounding wall, raised on the old Gallo-Roman wall. The porte des Allemands ("Germans' gate") is the only vestige of that medieval wall!
Raised across the river Seille, it looks like a real tiny stronghold! But where does this name come from, Allemands?
Because near the gate was a house which belonged to German Teutonic knights, raised in 1230 and destroyed 23 years later by emperor Charles the Fifth's troops.
Do you see those 2 round towers crowned by pepper box roofs? It belonged to the 13th century wall. The two crenelated towers were raised in 1445 by architect Henry de Busdorf, lord of Ranconval.
Then they restored the gate in the 16th century, then in 1860 (the upper part was rebuilt).
The name of Philip d'Ex was carved on the gallery's vault: he was lord of Neuchatel-devant-Metz and mayor of Metz from 1502 to 1527.
He ordered the construction of the building linking the two gate. Vauban reinforced the city wall in 1674. In 1900, Metz city owned the gate and opened it to the public.