Bismarck tower
Encyclopedia
Culture of Germany
German culture began long before the rise of Germany as a nation-state and spanned the entire German-speaking world. From its roots, culture in Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular...
monument, built to honour the ex-chancellor of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
. A total of 240 of these towers were built between German unification and the National Socialist takeover, i.e. between 1869 and 1934. They were built in various styles in locations across the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, including its colonies in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, as well as in areas of Europe that, at the time, were part of Germany, but now lie within the borders of other European states. Towers were also built in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Of the original 240, 173 remain.
The German Student Corporation chose one of the designs submitted by German architect, Wilhelm Kreis
Wilhelm Kreis
Wilhelm Kreis was a prominent German architect and professor of architecture, active through four political systems in German history: the Wilhelmine era, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the foundation of the Federal Republic.Kreis was born in Eltville am Rhein in Hesse-Nassau...
, in an 1899 architecture competition. The award-winning Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
design was selected as the standard model for all Bismarck columns. This massive and squat tower design could be built to different heights and widths depending on the amount of money donated for the particular monument.
Every Bismarck tower was also intended as a beacon. Their braziers were to be lit on specified days in honour of ex-chancellor Bismarck to commemorate his achievement in unifying Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
in 1871.
The architects of these towers included Wilhelm Kreis
Wilhelm Kreis
Wilhelm Kreis was a prominent German architect and professor of architecture, active through four political systems in German history: the Wilhelmine era, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the foundation of the Federal Republic.Kreis was born in Eltville am Rhein in Hesse-Nassau...
himself, who built 58 (47 to the Götterdämmerung design), and Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz , was a German architect best known for his monuments in the early 1900s, working closely with sculptors such as Emil Hundrieser, Nikolaus Geiger and Franz Metzner for integrated architectural and sculptural effect...
.
See also
- Ballenstedt Bismarck TowerBismarck Tower (Ballenstedt)The Bismarck Tower 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 :...
, near Opperode (Harz) - Jakobsberg Bismarck Tower
- Salzgitter Bismarck TowerSalzgitter Bismarck TowerThe Salzgitter Bismarck Tower is an observation tower completed in 1900 in Salzgitter, Germany. Unlike most other Bismarck towers, it does not consist of all-stone design, but instead has a base of bricks with a lattice tower on top. On one side, it resembles an Eiffel Tower with a bow between its...
- Stettin Bismarck towerBismarck tower SzczecinOne of the many Bismarck Towers built in the former German Empire is located in Szczecin , now in north-western Poland .- History :...
- Wiesbaden Bismarck TowerWiesbaden Bismarck TowerThe Wiesbaden Bismarck Tower was one of approximately 240 monuments built in honour of Bismarck. Wiesbaden's Bismarck Tower was the tallest Bismarck memorial with a height of 50m. The wooden tower was built in 1910 close to the former watch tower on the Height of Bierstadt. It was planned only as...
- Viersen Bismarck TowerBismarck Tower (Viersen)The Bismarck Tower located in Viersen was erected in honour of the chancellor Otto von Bismarck and has since become an icon of the city of Viersen.-Geographical situation:...