The two-story defense tower was built on a circular floor plan, with a triple-layered, conical roof of brick shingles. The facade is smooth, interrupted only by windows with wooden frames. A groin-vaulted ceiling divides the ground floor from the upper floor. The rest of the furnishings (wooden floors, stairs, balconies) were destroyed.
The Judgment Tower, or Harbor Tower as it is also called, is a clear example of defense architecture. Its stockier, more square predecessor was built in 1310, but razed in 1532. From 1548 to 1562, the same Italian engineers who constructed City Hall were also employed in building the Judgement Tower anew. At the time it was one story lower, but similarly covered with a conical roof. They raised it in the 19th century and converted it into a storage space. It burned in 1937, with the roof and wooden floors collapsing as a result. Restoration lasted from 1957 to 1960, when they refurbished the ceilings and roof. It was completely renovated again in 2021 and repurposed as a cultural event venue.
It got its name from the time when sentences were pronounced in it. It is also linked to the trials of witch’s processes, as it was here that sentences were pronounced on women who were perceived as being witches. Due to its shape the Judgement Tower is also known as the Round Tower, and due to the nearness of the Minorite monastery also as the Monastic Tower. You will find it in the lower part of Maribor's market place in Lent.
The Judgement Tower is an important monument to defensive architecture and a treasured feature of the city’s western skyline with its medieval wall.
