Sebastiansturm Eltville
Leergasse 1, 65343 Eltville am Rhein
The tower is named after Saint Sebastian, in honor of whom the citizens of Eltville celebrate a traditional festive day every year on January 20th.
The Sebastian Tower in Eltville rises high above the banks of the Rhine, and its old walls in the midst of a well-maintained garden at the villa of the Matthäus Müller sparkling wine cellars always attract attention. The tower bears the name of Saint Sebastian, in honor of whom the citizens of Eltville celebrate a festival every year on January 20. The celebration of Sebastian's Day has a centennial tradition in the sparkling wine and rose city of Eltville.
This tradition dates back to the plague years of 1666 and 1667, when the inhabitants of today’s sparkling wine and rose city beseeched God for intervention through the intercession of Saint Sebastian to free them from the deadly disease. In gratitude, they raised the patron saint against the plague and other dangerous illnesses to the status of city patron. Since then, the people of Eltville have honored their saint, named the Sebastian Tower at the Rhine after him, and erected saint figures and images of him at various locations throughout the city.
To remember the help of Sebastian, a memorial column was also once erected, which, however, was lost over the centuries, leaving only the relief intact. The sandstone depiction of Saint Sebastian had also suffered significant damage due to weather influences. Thanks to the support of the Eltville Tour Guides Association, however, the valuable relief was restored a few years ago and has found a worthy place in the tower of the parish church. The donations were even sufficient to create a copy of the saint's image and to reinstall it on a new, modern column not far from its original location near the wooden gate.
There was a time when the traditional customs surrounding Saint Sebastian fell into oblivion, but around the turn of the last century, around 1900, the celebratory service in honor of Saint Sebastian was remembered again and has been regularly celebrated on January 20 since then. The returning soldiers of World War I even donated a Sebastian flag in 1918, which is always carried in the processions in January.
This tradition dates back to the plague years of 1666 and 1667, when the inhabitants of today’s sparkling wine and rose city beseeched God for intervention through the intercession of Saint Sebastian to free them from the deadly disease. In gratitude, they raised the patron saint against the plague and other dangerous illnesses to the status of city patron. Since then, the people of Eltville have honored their saint, named the Sebastian Tower at the Rhine after him, and erected saint figures and images of him at various locations throughout the city.
To remember the help of Sebastian, a memorial column was also once erected, which, however, was lost over the centuries, leaving only the relief intact. The sandstone depiction of Saint Sebastian had also suffered significant damage due to weather influences. Thanks to the support of the Eltville Tour Guides Association, however, the valuable relief was restored a few years ago and has found a worthy place in the tower of the parish church. The donations were even sufficient to create a copy of the saint's image and to reinstall it on a new, modern column not far from its original location near the wooden gate.
There was a time when the traditional customs surrounding Saint Sebastian fell into oblivion, but around the turn of the last century, around 1900, the celebratory service in honor of Saint Sebastian was remembered again and has been regularly celebrated on January 20 since then. The returning soldiers of World War I even donated a Sebastian flag in 1918, which is always carried in the processions in January.
