Bismarck Tower (Ballenstedt)
The Bismarck Tower (German: Bismarckturm) on the 268 metre high Stahlsberg above Opperode in the borough of Ballenstedt in Germany is a monument to the German chancellor, Bismarck. The tower can be used as an observation tower.
History
On the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig in 1913, Ballenstedt's lord mayor, Wendt, proposed the erection of a Bismarck tower. The tower committee that was formed to take this forward, selected the Stahlsberg hill near Opperode as the location and Professor Wilhelm Kreis as the architect. He decided on a tower that was extremely similar to his award-winning Götterdämmerung design.
The Bismarck Tower was made of limestone and granite from the nearby Harz Mountains. During the First World War, work ground to a halt and it was not taken up again until the 1930s under the direction of the Ballenstedt branch of the Harz Club who, however, went for a simpler shape. For example, they left out the planned brazier (Feuerschale) on the observation platform.
After being restored the tower was opened again on 1 July 1995. It is not permanently open as an observation tower.
External links
- Der Bismarckturm in Ballenstedt bei www.bismarcktuerme.de
Coordinates: 51°42′52″N 11°15′33″E / 51.71438°N 11.259044°E