In the charter (Handfeste) of the Main Town, the Teutonic Order granted the citizens a free fish market in 1342, but with the restriction that all fish brought to market had to first be presented at the Order's house and offered for purchase to the authorities. This right of first refusal held by the Danzig commandery of the Order led to the market being held on the square in front of the Order's house, where it remains to this day. It was established on the bank of the Mottlau between the Main Town and the former castle, to more conveniently fulfill the obligation of granting the Order its right of first refusal.

The 1342 charter further stipulates that a bridge should be built from the Order's house into the city, upon which a keep or tower could be erected. The gate was to be under the control of the Order's brethren, and before the gate within the city there was to be a spacious street, which the citizens were to settle with honorable, reputable people.

This "spacious street" has been interpreted in various ways. The historian Hirsch sought to identify it as the street of the Four Dams, prompted by the 14th-century designation of sections of the Dam as "twergasse versus castrum" (cross-street toward the castle) and the name of the Haustor (House Gate) that closed off the lane. However, this assumption is incorrect, as the Dam and Haustor never directly abutted the Order's castle, but rather the Old Town. Even less accurate is the view expressed by Köhler, who, based solely on the expression "rume straße" (spacious street), decided in favor of the Breitgasse (Broad Lane). The passage can only refer to the Fischmarkt directly bordering the Order's castle, which indeed has more the character of a wide street than a square. It was connected to the Order's castle by a gate at the northwest corner of the market, which is still shown on a plan of 1608 along with its associated keep.

Since the city wall along the Mottlau from the Krantor (Crane Gate) to the Order's castle was only built in 1448, the Fischmarkt was originally open toward the Mottlau. Until 1482, the land tax registers consistently mention only one of the gates leading to the water — apparently the present-day Tobiastor (Tobias Gate), situated at the extension of Tobiasgasse, which was still called "Fischertor" (Fisher's Gate) in 1789. It was only in 1482 that the "nye tor uppem fischmarkte" (new gate at the fish market), the present-day Häkertor, was built. The present-day Buttertor (Butter Gate), located between the two, appears to have been a passage created later; it first appears on a plan of 1789 under its current name.

An unidentifiable part of the Fischmarkt was called "Hintermarkt" or "Hinterfischmarkt" (Rear Market or Rear Fish Market) in a 1645 document. Since this document reflects the perspective of the Town Hall, it could refer to the part near the former Order's castle.

History