Goethe Tower

Goetheturm in Frankfurt (2015)

The Goethe Tower was a 43.3 meter high observation tower built entirely of wood in 1931 on the northern edge of the Frankfurt city forest in Sachsenhausen (district of Frankfurt am Main ) in Sachsenhausen Landwehrweg . The tower, named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , had 196 steps and until 1999, when it was replaced by the Millennium Tower in Magdeburg , it was the highest publicly accessible timber structure in Germany. On the night of October 12, 2017, it was destroyed by arson . Reconstruction began in November 2019; The reconstructed tower will be completely completed by autumn 2020.

history

A wooden tower , at that time 22 meters high, has stood in the same place since 1867 . The original tower had to be demolished after the First World War because it was dilapidated.

The Goethe Tower was built in 1931, for which the businessman and councilor Gustav Gerst donated 28,000 Reichsmarks . The city provided the timber selected by the then chief forester Jacobi , a total of around 340 m³ of pine, beech and oak. The opening ceremony took place in November 1931 - shortly before the beginning of the Goethe year 1932 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Goethe's death.

Burned down Goethe Tower (2017)

From 1981 to 1982 the tower was extensively renovated. A festival was held on Saturday, May 8, 1982 to mark the reopening. From then on, the Goethe Tower Festival took place annually on the first Saturday in May at the foot of the tower, which was organized by the Sachsenhausen association and its affiliated associations.

Not far from the location of the tower has been a recreated Doric column with the inscription " Arcadia , a kingdom in Sparta's neighborhood", a work of art by the Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay . The monument was created as part of the “Goetheturm beautification project”.

The tower was completely renovated from 2010 to 2014 and has been open to the public again since April 11, 2014.

On October 12, 2017 at around 3:10 a.m., the fire brigade and police received reports that the tower was on fire. When the emergency services arrived a few minutes later, the tower was already on fire. Due to the advanced fire, the fire brigade decided to let the tower burn down in a controlled manner and to concentrate on protecting the area. Around four o'clock the tower collapsed. It is under investigation for arson. Immediately after its destruction, the rebuilding of the Goethe Tower was called for from several sides. In an internet survey by the city of Frankfurt, a majority spoke out in favor of rebuilding the Goetheturm in its original form. The cost of the new building made of wood and steel elements is estimated at a "low single-digit million sum". So far donations of almost 150,000 euros have been received.

According to FAZ reports, 2.1 million of the estimated 2.4 million euros in construction costs are covered by the insurance. The city has to pay for additional security measures and for the redesign around the tower. The now almost 200,000 euros in donations are to be used for these outdoor facilities including tree planting.

Architecture and significance of the first Goethe Tower (1931–2017)

First Goetheturm (until 2017) from the inside, view vertically upwards

The first Goethe Tower, built entirely of wood, was 43.3 m high and had 196 steps. The floor plan was square with an edge length of 8.4 m. At every corner there were sandstone-clad, 1.35-meter-high foundation blocks, which were connected to each other by sandstone walls except on the northwest entrance side. On the corner foundations there were four wooden posts with a large diameter, which, due to the height of the tower, consisted of four sections. They were all connected to one another in a half-timbered construction, which narrowed to an edge length of 5 meters up to the platform and enclosed the right-hand staircase. This led from two wide sandstone steps on the northeast side of the tower with 196 steps over twelve intermediate landings to the covered, 6 by 6 meter, 39.5 meter high viewing platform . Wooden benches were attached to the inside of the tower on the intermediate landings. From a height of around 26 meters up to the platform, a steel net was attached to the outside of the tower for safety reasons. The platform was also secured on the outside with a steel net that reached from the parapet to the roof, but did not interfere with the view. In the end one had no view of the south-eastern suburbs of Frankfurt due to the trees.

Until the millennium tower was built in Magdeburg in 1999, the Goethe Tower was the highest publicly accessible timber structure in Germany. In 2007 it was the fifth highest timber structure in Germany after the Rottenbuch radio tower (66 meters without antennas), the millennium tower in Magdeburg (60 meters), the twin towers of the Brück antenna measuring station (54 meters) and the Blumenthal observation tower (45 meters). The Goethe Tower served as a viewing tower and as a transmission tower for cellular communications . It also served as a television converter (channel E47).

Maze at the Goetheturm forest play park

reconstruction

The reconstruction of the Goethe Tower began at the beginning of November 2019; At the end of July 2020, the new tower, which is to open in October, was ready. The only difference between the new Goethe Tower and its predecessor is its lighter color. The new building is also largely made of wood; Steel elements were installed at some interfaces to make the tower more resistant to moisture and to facilitate maintenance. In a survey, 78 percent of the participants spoke out in favor of a reconstruction that was as true to the original as possible and against a modern tower.

Local recreation center

Until it was destroyed, the Goetheturm and its immediate surroundings were a popular excursion destination, especially for families. It was open during the day from the beginning of April to the end of October. At the foot of the Goethe Tower is the 3 hectare Goetheturm play park ; Among other things, there is a giant slide and a paddling pool. In 2006, the maze with green belt animals was created in the forest play park . There is also a garden bar at the Goethe Tower.

Transport links

The location of the Goetheturm can be easily reached by public transport by bus line 48, Goetheturm stop . The Hainer Weg and Sachsenhausen Warte stops on bus routes 30, 36, OF-50 and 653 can be reached via a short walk. A large parking lot is available on Sachsenhausen Landwehrweg for motorized private transport.