For the past 28 years, Blanca Knodel has been living in a 800-year-old tower, residing in the imperial town of Bad Wimpfen in southern Germany. Knodel holds an interesting perspective on her surroundings, maintaining the historic “Blue Tower” that guards her hometown and the Neckar River.
Over the centuries, the role of a tower guardian has evolved significantly, yet the seventy-year-old Knodel has remained busy, realizing her dreams within the protective walls of the tower. How did she come to acquire this unique job of guarding the tower?
In an interview with Ann Marie Ackermann, an American living in Germany, Knodel revealed, “I belong to one of the oldest families in Baden-Württemberg. My great aunt once lived here in the tower keeper’s apartment. When my ancestors fell ill, I helped look after the tower. Eventually, I took over the responsibility of guarding the tower with my three children.”
As a reward for her role as a tower guardian, the local government allows her to live rent-free in the tower.
The town boasts two iconic towers named after the color of their roofs. The second tower, called the Red Tower, is not far from the Blue Tower.
As the guardian of the towers, Knodel challenges herself and her children to be creative in how they spend their time.
In an interview with the YouTube channel ARD Room Tour, she led viewers through her 570 square feet home.
Knodel mentioned that when the bell rang to alert them of visitors, “someone would stop eating, get up to sell a newspaper to the tourists, and then return to their meal. Their lunches were often interrupted in this way.”
Raising three children in an 800-year-old tower required extensive renovations and creativity, a challenge that Knodel took on without hesitation. Prior to their move-in in 1996, the rooms were plain with white walls and tiles.
With the help of friends, Knodel renovated the small space, creating separate areas for herself and her children. The house now features a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and an office.
As her children grew, her son took the bedroom while her daughters built a loft above the living room for their beds and games. They installed shutters for privacy at night.
Knodel used to sleep on a pull-out sofa bed, but now that her children have moved out, she sleeps in her son’s old bedroom.
She expressed joy and pride in the successful renovation of the house.
The tower residence is filled with Knodel’s German traditional decorations and family photos. She shared a funny anecdote about moving a 200-year-old piano up 134 steps to her living room.
In medieval times, tower guardians’ duties were far more perilous than Knodel’s present-day responsibilities. They were tasked with alerting enemies, fires, sounding alarms, and telling time.
Today, as the tower guardian, Knodel sells tickets and provides information about this magnificent tower she calls home.
Overall, Knodel finds her life to be quite good, aside from the challenge of carrying groceries up 134 steps. She shared with Ann Marie Ackermann, “I have a great view from up here, it’s so quiet and peaceful. My guests are very friendly. People only climb the 134 steps to my apartment when they really want to see me.”
By rewriting the news article content and translating it into English, the story of Blanca Knodel’s unique experience living in an ancient tower in Germany has been retold in a detailed and engaging manner while preserving the essence of the original piece.