Group 1 | Station 3A
Olsator (Former Fortified Town Gate)
The “Olsator” was one of the five gates of the fortification system of medieval Friesach.
Old illustrations and engravings show the gate in its original form (around 1200 CE) with a double gate tower and drawbridge. Wooden hoardings were on the battlements of the towers and curtain wall. The gate was east-facing.
Later, the fortified gate was remodelled. The drawbridge and the smaller gate tower were removed. A third arch was added to the bridge.
The Olsator was demolished after the railway station was built in 1873.
The Evolution of the “Olsator”
1. Earlier Design | Double Gate Tower
Initially, the “Olsator” had two gate towers and a drawbridge.
2. Remodelled Design | Single Gate Tower
Later, the smaller gate tower and the drawbridge were removed.
3. The fortified gate tower was demolished in 1873.
Double Gate Tower | Earlier Design | Labelled Image
The illustration shows two gate towers.
Double Gate Tower | Earlier Design | Image Gallery
Single Gate Tower | Remodelled Design | Labelled Image
The painting shows a single gate tower. The drawbridge and the smaller gate tower are missing.
Single Gate Tower | Remodelled Design | Image Gallery
Present Day | Image Gallery
Present Day | Image Gallery
Location of Olsator (east-facing) on an old map of Friesach
Friesach Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of Friesach is based on the oldest surviving seal on a document from 1265 CE (related to the medieval town). It shows the Friesach town fortifications in a highly stylised form with the Olsator in the middle, the Neumarkter Tor and St. Veiter Tor at the sides and the Red Tower at the rear.
