Next to the Catherine Gate, the Schei Gate, in Baroque style, resembles a trimmed arch. It dates from 1828, and stands on the site of an earlier gate. During the 13th-17th centuries, it was the only place of access for the Romans of Schei to the fortress.
The Șchei Gate (in German Waisenhausgässer Tor, in Hungarian Árvaház utcai kapu), the only surviving gate of the old fortress, was one of the fortification gates of Brasov. As part of the south-west wall of the city’s fortifications, the Șchei Gate is declared a historical monument.
Originally settled in Brasovechi, due to floods and for strategic reasons (Tatar incursions, followed by Turkish invasions), from the 14th century onwards the Saxons moved towards the Tâmpa mountain and started to build defensive fortifications. Between 1400 and 1427 the town was surrounded by walls and defence towers, thus becoming a famous fortification – the Fortress.
For almost three centuries the only gate that provided passage through the double wall of the fortress from the Schei was the Catherine Gate. Due to the demands of booming trade in the 18th century, the gate could no longer cope with the increased traffic in the area. Following repeated requests from the Schelian merchants, the Horse Fair Gate was built in 1820 near the Blacksmiths’ Bastion, but this too proved too small for the ever-increasing traffic.
As a result, as early as 1821, it was proposed to build a new gate, which was not approved by the city council until 1823, after long negotiations. At the same time, the first plans were drawn up for the city’s layout, involving urban development towards the suburbs. To this end, part of the medieval fortifications of the Citadel on the north-east and south-west sides were demolished in stages. The Catherine Gate, with the exception of the outer gate tower, was demolished in 1827 and a new, larger gate was built at the end of Orphanage Street, the Schei Gate, by the “master builder” Joseph Jani[
Next to the gate, after the demolition of the walls, was built between 1851-1853 the Saxon school of gymnastics and drawing, today’s sports high school.
