The Wrangel Tower is a famous fortification building located in Kaliningrad - the former German Koenigsberg, which was withdrawn to Russia as a result of World War II.
Tower history
The Wrangel Tower is an integral part of the fortifications of the Prussian Koenigsberg. It was built in 1853. Her project was developed by a German military engineer named Ernst Ludwig von Astaire. In Prussia, he was engaged exclusively in military engineering - he built fortresses. One of his largest projects is the global reconstruction of the fortifications in Cologne, which was carried out in 1816. For the successful completion of this work, he received the title of Major General.
In Koenigsberg, he worked on a project for a second shaft defensive contour of this East Prussian city. The work was carried out for 17 years - from 1843 to 1860. Only a part of these fortifications has survived to this day - 7 city gates, Wrangel and Don towers, bastions, ravelins and the Kronprinz defensive barracks.
Shaft defensive walk
The Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad is one of the key parts of the shaft defensive bypass. The first object of these fortifications was the Kronprinz barracks (now it is located on the Lithuanian rampart).
Konigsberg's defensive belt included various bastions, as well as an earthen mound that defended the city from the north. At the very beginning, there was Fort Friedrichsburg, which was fenced with a stone wall instead of redoubts. He was protected by powerful gates and four towers at once. It has not survived to our days. The Germans themselves demolished it at the beginning of the 20th century during the construction of the city railway.
The towers of Wrangel and Don were located in the southeast and southwest of the city, respectively. They were located near the Upper Lake.
Over time, the second shaft contour lost its military significance for Koenigsberg. At the beginning of the 20th century, the military department sold it to the city. Part of the buildings was demolished so that the city could further develop. For example, on the site of two gates, Hansa-Platz square was built. Today it houses the modern Victory Square in Kaliningrad. But most of the buildings have survived to this day.
Tower value
The towers of Wrangel and Don were designed to defend the Upper Lake, which was considered a weak spot in the defense of the city.
Like many other fortifications of the second shaft contour, at the beginning of the 20th century the first of them lost its defensive function. For military purposes, it was not used until 1944. During World War II, the tower housed military warehouses with small arms, communications and combat equipment.
The tower came under the command of the Red Army on April 10, 1945 after the successful assault of Koenigsberg by Soviet troops.
At the moment, this building is an object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. It is under state protection.
How to get to the tower?
In the very center of the city is the Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad. The address at which it is located is Professor Baranov Street, 2a.
To get to this fortification, you can use your own car or public. Buses and fixed-route taxis that cross the city center stop at the tower.
Nearby are the Central Market and Lake Superior. A little further - Victory Square, on which the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built in Kaliningrad.
Current state
Until recently, a restaurant was located in the Wrangel Tower. The fortification building passed into private hands in the 90s. In those days, the state did not have enough money to preserve monuments of architecture and culture, so the assets were willingly transferred to entrepreneurs who were ready to invest money.
A private investor appeared at the tower, who began to use the premises for commercial purposes, subject to the restoration of the tower. After that, many found out where the Wrangel Tower is located in Kaliningrad. After all, for many years she stood completely abandoned.
The plans of the new owner of the building was a complete restoration of all engineering systems in their original form. In particular, the heating system was repaired. The restaurant has since been heated exclusively with the help of firewood, which caring owners threw into the fireplace.
However, it was not easy for tenants. The administration of the region decided that the new owners did not properly fulfill their obligations to restore the building, and decided to select it.
It is difficult to assess which side is true. The owner really invested in infrastructure and repairs, but what has been done is far from the initial promises to recreate the tower in its original form. In addition, in recent years, the Wrangel Tower has become the venue for rock festivals. All this was accompanied by abundant drinking by guests and inappropriate behavior.
In addition, the restaurant itself worked very mediocre. The kitchen was poor. The owners relied on color and did not really care about the service and attractiveness of the dishes. Of course, a visit to such a restaurant is like going to a museum. Food fades into the background, but still this attitude towards guests is not happy.
Amber Museum
The Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad (photo of it is presented in the review) is currently taken from a private investor. Today, the building is managed by a regional agency for the protection of cultural heritage.
It is difficult to say what will appear in this tower afterwards. This should be decided by the culture council under the governor. So far, the building has been transferred to the Amber Museum. Now the public and the authorities are discussing several options for how this room will be transformed.
It can be a museum of weapons, a museum of military and peaceful history of the region. The final decision must be made after the completion of the historical and cultural examination. After the facade and the inside of the building will be brought into proper form at public expense. It is also planned to restore the park, which was adjacent to the tower, a moat with water, to equip the historic site in front of the entrance.