Ankerschmiedegasse

In the 14th century, the lane was not yet mentioned as a street name, though as early as 1378 the Ankerschmiedetor (anchor-smiths' gate) that closed off the street toward the Lastadie (the shipbuilding district) was already recorded. At the same time, ground-rent registers list a number of anchor smiths on the neighboring Ropergasse as residents; apparently the Ankerschmiedegasse was considered part of that street.

In 1415, the street name first appears as "versus Lastadiam scilicet Ankerschmiedegasse" (toward the Lastadie, namely Ankerschmiedegasse). Originally, the name only applied to the section between Hundegasse and the city wall.

The lane extended only as far as the Ankerschmiedetor in the Right Town's enclosing wall, located next to the Ankerschmiedeturm (anchor-smiths' tower). Only after the wall and the double moat in front of it were removed in the first third of the 17th century was the section between the Ankerschmiedeturm and Winterplatz built up. In the mortgage register, this section still bore the designation "Ankerschmiedetor."

Today's name, Ulica Kotwicznikow, is a correct translation of the old German name. "Ankerschmiede" means anchor smith.