The Gunpowder Tower (Turnul Pulberăriei) is a 16th-century defense tower in the Lower Town of Sibiu, standing inside the courtyard of the Independența Technical High School on Strada Ocnei.
The tower was built during the first half of the 16th century as part of the fourth defensive enclosure, which protected the Lower Town. Its position formed part of the heavily fortified complex around the former Ocnei Gate, also known as the Shoemakers’ Gate, one of the principal entrances into this part of the city. Designed on a massive circular plan, the tower was intended to withstand artillery fire while also serving as a secure store for gunpowder.
At around 14.5 meters high, the structure is lower and broader than many of Sibiu’s guild towers, reflecting its different defensive role. Its thick masonry and rounded form belong to the newer fortification system developed from the end of the 15th century, when cannon fire was changing the way city walls and towers were built.
The tower remained in practical use long after the surrounding Lower Town defenses disappeared. During the 1960s it served as storage for the 13 Decembrie Factory, while in the 1980s it was used as a workshop for producing propaganda material for the Independența industrial plant. Today it stands within the school courtyard and is not normally open to visitors.
