Berlin Victory Column
The Victory Column is Berlin’s most famous historical symbol. The structure was designed in the second half of the XIX century by the famous sculptor Johann Heinrich Strack. The total height of the monument is 66.89 meters. The landmark can be seen on the Big Star Square, which belongs to the Tiergarten Park.
General information
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The monument was erected in the Royal Square, which is now called Republic Square and is located in front of the Reichstag. The official opening of the Victory Column took place on September 2, 1873, on the anniversary of the memorable battle with French troops – the Battle of Sedan. The scale of the confrontation is evidenced by the huge number of dead, their number on both sides is about 6 thousand. The monument immortalized the significant events of all the aforementioned wars – they are depicted in the form of drawings on the granite base.
.Relocation of the monument
After the Nazis came to power, led by Adolf Hitler, a plan was developed to reconstruct Berlin. The new Reich Chancellor planned to make the city the world capital, and for this it was necessary to completely change it. The Victory Column was moved to its present location in 1938-1939 – this was part of the rebuilding. When it was reinstalled, another part was added to the monument, making it 7.5 meters taller.
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Despite the fact that the Fuhrer’s plans never became a reality, the monument blended remarkably well into the landscape of the park area and remained intact after Germany’s surrender. In the postwar period, representatives of France made a proposal to blow it up, but other members of the anti-Hitler coalition did not support the idea. After the completion of the division of the territory of the former Third Reich, the place where the monument is located was assigned to West Berlin, which received a special political status.
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Tourist Information
Due to the lack of elevators, it is only possible to reach the Victoria statue by means of the stairs in the column, which have 285 steps. On the way up, stop to appreciate the wonderful glass mosaics created in the workshop of Venetian artist Antonio Salviati. At a height of 48 meters there is an observation deck with a beautiful view of the surrounding area. There is a small history museum at the bottom.
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You have the opportunity to tour the monument throughout the year, but there are slight differences in visiting times in different months. From April through October, travelers are welcome here from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. In the winter months, the museum and observation deck are open on weekdays from 10.00 to 17.00, on Saturday and Sunday – from 10.00 to 17.30. You will need to pay to enter, with tickets costing €2.20 for adults and €1.50 for children. A souvenir store is open inside the column, selling original gifts.
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