Nordertor

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Nordertor, known in Danish as Nørreport, is an old town gate in Flensburg, Germany, built around 1595. Today it stands as Flensburg’s symbol.

The town wall was built from 1345 onward, and a northern gate called Norder Porte stood there until Nordertor replaced it in the late 16th century. It has stepped gables and an archway and marked the town’s northern boundary, serving as a checkpoint that was closed at night.

On the north face are two plaques. The left shows King Christian IV’s royal coat of arms (1577–1648) and the Latin motto Regna Firmat Pietas (“Piety strengthens the Realm”). The right shows Flensburg’s coat of arms and the words Friede ernährt, Unfrieden verzehrt (“Peace nourishes, strife devours”). A renovation date reads Renov. 1767.

The gate was restored during the reign of Christian VII (1749–1808). In 1796, building outside the walls was allowed again, and the Neustadt (New Town) suburb grew near Nordertor. In 1913–14 architect Paul Ziegler restored it and installed a clock. In 1966 the Deutsche Bundespost issued a 30-pfennig stamp featuring the gate; more than 3 billion stamps were sold.

In the 1990s the gate was restored again and the clock was removed. In 2004 it became a venue for civil weddings, with ceremonies held in a room above the archway.