The construction of the flood protection dike from 1928 to 1931 brought a thorough change to the view of the Rhine in Neuwied. The dike protects the city center and its surroundings from flooding. It is 600 meters long, the dike wall laid out in light and dark stripes, extending from Schloßstraße to Friedrichstraße with its two large passageways and the slender gauge tower, which is followed by a wide boat staircase. While the gauge tower itself represents pure decorative architecture and is regarded as an advertising landmark of Neuwied, there is a gauge system for the dike hidden invisibly in the masonry underneath it, but it is not intended for navigation.