A Big Erection in Berlin
Written: May 30 '05 (Updated Jun 14 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Impressive monument
Cons: Hard climb!
The Bottom Line: How high?
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| proxam's Full Review: Siegessäule |
Berlin's Tiergarten, a 495 acre haven of greenery, was created as a Royal Hunting estate in the 1830s. Lying between Mitte and Charlotteburg, for many years it might have formed the barrier between east and west Berlin, but there was a dirty great big wall to do that job. In the middle of the Tiergarten there's a roundabout, which goes by the name of Großer Stern (great star), and in the middle of this roundabout stands the Siegessäule.
It lines up perfectly with Straße des 17 Juni, Der Brandenburger Tor and Unter den Linden, and is a credit to the vision of Berlin's 19th century town planners...or is it?
But first, what is it?
The Siegessäule is a 69m tall triumphal column which was constructed between 1864 to 1873 to celebrate the Prussian victory over Denmark in 1864. The 8m, 35 ton gilded figure at the top was added after further Prussian victories against Austria and France. The figure, known locally as 'Golden Else', represents Viktoria, Goddess of Victory.
But it wasn't always so.
In the beginning, well in the mid-19th century, the column only reached a paltry height of just over 50m. Not only that, it stood almost a mile further east, opposite the Reichstag building.
So what happened, did it grow taller, sprout legs and walk off to its present locale? Of course not. That would be ridiculous.
No the sensible explanation is that Mr Hitler (not someone who is well known for sensible solutions) had an extra column added increasing the height, and then had the whole shebang moved to its current location.
Was he mad? I hear you ask.
- Yes, I'm afraid he was. As mad as bag of wet squirrels.
It was all part of his plan to redesign Berlin as Welthauptstadt Germania, capital of a super state. And Berlin was redesigned, although not quite according to Hitler's plan. Speaking of war damage, the Siegessäule somehow managed to survive the conflict without major damage, and it was restored to its former glory in the 1980s.
The Siegessäule is one of Berlin's most well-known landmarks and a highly visible one at that. But there's more to it than a photo opportunity.
To get to it, you have to use one of the four subways - you could always cross the road, but I'm afraid that by the time you wait for a break in the traffic, chances are that some well-meaning dignitary could come along and move the thing somewhere else...again.
The red granite base is adorned with reliefs of battle scenes (these were removed by the Allies in 1945 to be reinstated in the 1980s). Above this is a columned hall with mosaic friezes and more reliefs depicting yet more battle scenes.
Then comes the fun part. The normally super-efficient German builders somehow or other neglected to install an elevator and instead the journey to the top involves climbing 285 steps which spiral ever upwards. Not a problem for me, but Mrs P has a 'thing' about spiral staircases and no amount of persuasion would convince her to ascend...so I didn't even try. Instead, I left her to wander around the shop (she doesn't have a 'thing' about shopping, unfortunately) while I took those twisting steps two or three at a time.
Stepping out on to the viewing platform, I audibly gasped. A quick puff of ventolin later, and I had a look around...and down. Peering straight down gives a wonderful impression of the street layout with all the roads converging on the Großer Stern and the broccoli-like trees of the Tiergarten. A swift, very swift, glance Westwards (it's not the most impressive vista) and then back towards the east shows Berlin in its glory as you line up the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden with the Fernsehturm looming over it. The Glass dome of the Reichstag even peeks over the trees like some sort of surreal atrium.
One thing that's really noticeable on Berlin's skyline are the many giant cranes (the construction aids, not the birds), especially around the gleaming towers of the regenerated Potsdamer Platz.
But wait, there's more.
Unlike most viewing platforms, there's something to see when you look upwards...apart from blue skies, that is.
From here, you get a bird's eye view Golden Else in all her splendour...actually, since you're looking up, I suppose it would be a flightless bird's eye view.
Oh well, you can only look at a view for so long, so a quick descent returned me to an impatient Mrs P who, being not overly impressed with the souvenir shop, was eager to be out in the sunshine and on her way.
We could've lingered for a while in the cafe/bar, but it was far too nice a day to sit inside and so we made our way towards the pavement cafes of Unter den Linden.
In conclusion, while the Siegessäule is undoubtedly one of Berlin's most famous landmarks, it hardly warrants the entrance fee. The panorama from the viewing platform is pretty good, but it pales into insignificance compared to that from the Fernsehturm...and those 285 steps are energy-sapping (not to mention lung-bursting).
The shop is OK, but you can pick up most of what's on offer in any souvenir shop in the city. Likewise the bar/cafe is hardly worth making the detour for. In it's favour, the admission charge is only a couple of euros, so it hardly eats into the holiday budget. But if you're not going to climb the steps, it seems a bit pointless visiting at all, especially when it's visible from pretty much everywhere anyway.
More reviews from the proxy goes Deutsch (2004) tour:
BW L'Amandier - Libramont
Comfort Hotel - Eisenach
Eisenach
Buchenwald
BW Dresdner Tor Hotel
Bautzen
Görlitz
Holiday Inn Berlin-Airp Schönefeld
Brandenburger Tor
Berliner Fernsehturm
©proxam2005
Recommended:
Yes
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proxam
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Alcohol & calculus don't mix. Don't drink & derive
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