Each city has its own zest, a landmark that the whole country is proud of. In the German capital, this is the Berlin TV tower. Today it is called the "icon" of Berlin. From the height of the object an unrivaled panorama of the city opens. Statistics show that this attraction is the highest artificial point of the state. From the first days of its appearance, the television tower has become a symbol of the capital of Germany. And she deservedly deserved her success.
Popular Object History
The Berlin TV tower was commissioned in early October 1969. But this event was preceded by a long story. To build such a structure was decided back in the 1950s. The design was to stand on the mountains of Muggelberg. Berlin-Schönefeld Airport was located in the vicinity of this area , so construction robots were suspended, because a tall structure could be a danger to flying aircraft.
In 1964, Walter Ulbricht proposed the construction of a television tower on Alexanderplatz (Berlin, Mitte). The project of the future facility was developed by Herman Hanselmann, Gunter Franke and Fritz Dieter. In early August 1965, the construction of the landmark began. Gerhard Kozel was the construction manager, but he was fired shortly after the start of the campaign. They explained Kozel’s removal from office by the fact that he spent 200 million marks on construction, which was six times the amount of the planned budget.
To create the tower used materials of German production. The only exceptions were cables, elevators and air conditioning. All this was mounted by a company from Sweden. A separate item of expenses was made up of protective glass ordered in the Netherlands.
It took four years to complete the construction of Berlin’s pride, and the tower was commissioned on October 3, 1969.
Three design names
The Berlin TV tower has three names. Local residents call it “Papa’s revenge” when the ball of the construction is illuminated by the sun. At this moment, an image of the cross forms on it. With this name, the Germans allude to discrimination against the church in the GDR and to the atheistic views of socialist society.
Berliners also call the construction of the church of St. Walter - in honor of Walter Ulbricht. Ulbricht Memorial Church is the third tower name that arose after the death of Ulbricht.
How was the attraction built
Berlin (Mitte - the most prestigious metropolitan area) is the city where the eponymous attraction is located. Expensive objects should be located in fashionable districts. This is the very center of the village. The tower is the tallest building in the country and is one of the four tallest structures on the planet. Only Moscow, Kiev and Riga TV towers are ahead of it in height.
The height of the tower in Berlin reaches 368 meters. The object pipe was poured with concrete using sliding formwork. The core of the ball was collected on the ground, then a crane was installed at the top of the pipe and the ball was lifted and mounted using fragments. At the top of the structure to this day is this crane, only today its boom is lowered. A spinning ball makes a complete revolution in 30 minutes. It houses an observation deck.
A smaller crane was also used to mount the antenna. It was also collected in parts, each of which was four meters long. The antenna is 118 meters long. With strong winds, it deviates by 80 cm from its axis. In winter, it is sometimes heated with electricity to prevent icing.
The tower has two elevators and 986 steps, and also has a restaurant, a steeple and a panoramic floor.
Tower visit
Every day, the Berlin TV tower receives thousands of tourists. A ticket costs 13-23 euros depending on its type. Guests are invited to buy one of four available ticket options:
- “Lark” - on this pass you can see the attraction at nine in the morning from March to October and at ten in the morning from November to February. A child ticket costs 8.5 euros and an adult costs 13 euros.
- "Midnight" - a ticket that gives the right to inspect the tower from 21.30 to 23.00. This option will cost as much as the previous one.
- “High-speed inspection” - this fare allows you to reserve a ticket for a specific date and go on an excursion without waiting in line. The pass price for children is 12 euros, for adults - 19.5 euros.
- “VIP person” is the most expensive, but the best pass: it allows not only to inspect the object, but also gives privileges in the Sphere restaurant.
Interesting about the tower
The television tower in the German capital is owned by Deutsche Telekom.
In the 1970s, a garden with flower beds was arranged at its foot in a free square. Also, decorative trees were planted there and pink stalls were smashed.
When the World Cup was held in 2006, the ball on the tower was decorated with red foil. Thus, a soccer ball of gigantic proportions was obtained.