Wachturm

watchtower, guard tower

noun VAKH-toorm Rare

Usage Note

Wachturm is a tower built for surveillance, whether on a medieval city wall, at a border, or in a modern prison. In historical contexts it refers to fortress towers; the word also appears in Cold War border documentation. Plural Wachtürme.

Examples

"Auf der Stadtmauer standen in regelmäßigen Abständen Wachtürme."

Natural Translation

Watchtowers stood at regular intervals on the town wall.

Literal Translation

On the town-wall stood at regular intervals watchtowers.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Bitte in German: Please, You're Welcome, and More

Bitte means please, you're welcome, here you go, and pardon in German. Learn all the meanings, bitte schön vs bitte sehr, and the danke-bitte rule.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Order Food in German: Restaurant Phrases

Order food in German with confidence: use ich hätte gern, read the Speisekarte, ask die Rechnung bitte, and handle zusammen oder getrennt like a local.

June 5, 2026 5 min read