Bismarck Tower (Ballenstedt)
| Bismarck Tower | |
|---|---|
| Tower type: | Observation tower |
| State : | Germany |
| State : | Saxony-Anhalt |
| Location : | Ballenstedt |
| Location : | on the Stahlsberg |
| Geo coordinates : | 51 ° 42 '51.5 " N , 11 ° 15' 32.3" E |
| Site altitude: | 270.6 m above sea level NN |
| Tower height: | 14.67 m |
| Viewing platform height: | approx. 280 m above sea level NN |
| Construction time : | Phase 1: 1914/15 Phase 2: 1930/31 |
The Bismarck Tower near the Ballenstedt district of Opperode is an observation tower that was begun in 1914–1915 and was only completed in 1930–1931 at 270.6 m above sea level. NN high Stahlsberg in the Harz in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt and is one of the Bismarck monuments .
Geographical location
The Bismarck Tower is located in the Mansfelder Land on the edge of the Harz / Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park . It stands on the Stahlsberg, a wooded mountain spur on the north-eastern flank of the Harz Mountains, directly south of the Opperode through which the Sauerbach flows.
Description and history
For the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig (1913), the mayor of Ballenstedt, Wendt, suggested the construction of a Bismarck tower. The tower committee formed for this purpose chose the Stahlsberg near Opperode and Wilhelm Kreis as the architects. Kreis submitted a design that was further developed from his older, award-winning and multiple-executed type design Götterdämmerung .
The Bismarck Tower was built from limestone and Harz granite . The cornerstone ceremony took place shortly before the outbreak of the First World War on June 14, 1914, when construction work came to a standstill. From 1930 to the beginning of 1931 the tower was completed in a somewhat simplified form on behalf of the Ballenstedt Harz Club branch, for example the originally intended fire bowl on the viewing platform was dispensed with. On May 20, 1931, the tower was inaugurated as part of a simple celebration.
After the Second World War and during the GDR era, the tower was left to decay. After the fall of the Wall , a restoration took place in 1994/1995 and the tower was reopened on July 1, 1995.
The tower is 14.67 m high, originally 16.50 m was planned. An internal staircase with 57 steps leads to the viewing platform, which is around 280 m above sea level. NN lies.
Hiking and viewing opportunities
The Bismarck Tower is not always accessible; however, a key can be borrowed from the Ballenstedt Tourist Information Office . From the viewing platform, the view falls particularly on the Harz foreland, Ballenstedt and Opperode. The tower is included as No. 199 in the system of stamping points of the Harz hiking pin.
See also
Web links
- Bismarck Tower Ballenstedt , on bismarcktuerme.de