When Thorsten and his husband Micha bought the medieval Katzenturm in Oberwesel in 2022, their friends declared them crazy. Thorsten had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease only a short time before, in his early 40s. In addition to speech disorders and spasticity, this also meant that walking was becoming increasingly difficult for him - and then to move into a tower with 78 stairs and 4 floors?! No matter, Thorsten and Micha thought to themselves. And just do it. "We want to use the time in the here and now, as long as it is still possible," says Thorsten. Thorsten discovered the cat tower on the Internet. They visited it the very next day: "That was the sixpence in the lottery." The tower was built in 1350 and is part of the town wall of Oberwesel in the Middle Rhine Valley. The two have a total of 47 m² at their disposal in their domicile, spread over four floors. Tiny Living in medieval walls. The tower was not much more expensive than a small condominium, says Thorsten. He and Micha could afford it because Thorsten sold his agency. For almost 20 years he was self-employed, staging weddings and large corporate events throughout Europe. Thorsten often lies awake at night because of his illness. During the renovation, he used the time to browse the Internet for furnishing details and come up with a concept for the tower. Some ideas, however, were discarded. Originally, old bird cages were to hang from the ceiling in the bay window room. "But the room just looked too crowded with them," says Thorsten - now the cages stand in front of the entrance on the old city wall. The outer facade of their medieval tower is a listed building. "The first time we sat in the bay window in the evening, we were suddenly illuminated by bright spotlights," says Micha. "We already thought the GSG9 commando was at the door." But it was just the exterior lights that the city of Oberwesel turns on every evening. And there's something else Thorsten and Micha had to get used to: railroad tracks run past their medieval Tiny House directly in front of their large bay window. "If we ever want to clean it from the outside, we have to wait for a rail strike." Sometimes every minute, freight and passenger trains pass by Thorsten and Micha's living room. But the noise is bearable, he says. After all, the walls of the tower are 1.50 meters thick. That keeps a lot out. And somehow it's also quite exciting to watch the trains. Trainspotting right outside the front door. The tower is heated with an old wood stove. "In winter, we always have to make sure that we have enough wood and that the fire doesn't go out," says Thorsten. The stove is supplemented by a 25-year-old gas heating system. However, it will have to be replaced soon. "We are still thinking about what would be the right energy source for the tower." Thorsten and Micha can't really estimate their energy costs yet. The previous owner had only lived there on weekends, so the two can't simply transfer his costs to their situation. The cat tower project is not quite finished yet. Next up is the bathroom. It will be decorated in Dutch style with wallpaper featuring Delft tableware. "Micha and I often went on vacation in Holland," Thorsten says. "That was our balance when my agency was booming and our lives were very stressful." The tower marks a turning point for Thorsten and Micha - from living under constant pressure to being more calm and balanced. "I realized through my Parkinson's diagnosis that within one day your future can be completely changed. And that's why it's simply important to fulfill your wishes now and do what your heart is calling for right now." A film by Gesa Walch (editor), Frederik Dietz (camera), Yannick Gaul (camera and sound) and Abdullah Rajab Almallah (editor). 00:00 Tiny Living in the medieval tower. 01:00 Bay window room 04:35 Kitchen 07:20 TV room 10:29 Sheep (bed) room 12:55 Roof terrace