The Fronveste is the most imposing tower in our town. The tower itself was built on an artificial mound and stands south of the town on the Weichberg. The mound is still partially visible in the stairway to the museum and to the west of the Schulberg No. 6 property and is between 1.30 m and 1.50 m high. The tower was originally built as a four-storey residential tower with a heated bower, which was adjoined by residential and farm buildings. The second floor has a high room with a ribbed vault.

The chimney was located on the western side of the room, with a smoke outlet leading from here to the top of the tower. The internal structure of the tower shows that the entrances were all from the west side of an attached building. In the east of the tower is the abort bay. The tower itself ends with a platform reinforced by battlements, which can be entered through the tower cone. The entire complex was enclosed by a wall or rampart and originally served to protect the salt road. The Salt Road was a medieval trade route that led into the town near the Weichberg Gate and the main church. When construction of the town wall on the Weichberg began, the complex lost its independence as a small feudal castle. The tower and building were integrated into the city's defense system as an important cornerstone alongside the other city towers. From then on, the third and fourth floors of the tower served to defend the town. However, this was only possible to a limited extent on the third floor, as the windows and embrasures here faced south and west. It was not until the fourth floor that the firing positions were aligned in all four cardinal directions that an optimal defensive platform was created. In 1758, the Fronveste served as a prison for a notorious robber, who was popularly known as "Black Fritz". In 1762, the tower was converted into a prison tower. This is easily recognizable by the two additional prison cells on the third floor. After the end of the Second World War, the Fronveste retained its function as a prison tower for a few more years. Even today, the tower's viewing platform offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding Thuringian countryside.