The Basel city walls are a complex of walls surrounding the central part of the Swiss city of Basel, only partially preserved today. The first city wall was completed around 1080 under bishop Burkhard von Fenis. A newer wall was constructed around 1230, which is known as the Inner Wall. Its course was mostly identical to the Burkhard wall. In 1362 the construction of a larger wall complex began due to the city's expansion; it was completed in 1398, and is known as the Outer Wall. In 1859 the city's executives decided to raze the inner wall and gates to the ground. Three outer city gates and a short piece of the wall were saved from demolition and are being preserved as part of the city's heritage. History At the end of the 11th century, the growing settlement in the valley was walled, though settlement continued outside the wall. As the town spread up the west slopes surrounding the Birsig river, that section was walled also. At the beginning of the 13th century, all these sections were included within a single wall that embraced both the valley and hill settlements. In 1362, the city began building a new, wider city wall, which also enclosed the suburbs. It is possible that the destruction wrought by the earthquake of 1356 contributed to the decision to build a new wall. Among the construction materials were debris from the destruction and Jewish gravestones from the cemetery of the first Jewish community of Basel, which was destroyed in the violence surrounding the outbreak of the Black Death in 1348. The construction of the outer city walls was completed in 1398 and these walls lasted until the mid-nineteenth century. In 1859, the city walls were demolished in order to increase space and improve hygiene conditions in the city. The debris from the demolished walls were used to fill in the city moat, and these areas were converted into new streets and spaces, many of which bear names referring to the original wall. During this process, most of the embedded gravestones were lost. Ten of the few remaining ones are on display in the courtyard of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland. City gates Outer gates Three gates from the outer wall have been preserved, and today they represent landmarks of Basel and a heritage site of national significance: The Spalentor (Gate of Spalen) is regarded as one