Water tower Ohlsdorfer Friedhof
| Water tower on the Ohlsdorf cemetery | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Data | |
| Construction year: | 1898 |
| Tower height: | 34 m |
| Usable height: | 18 m |
| Container type: |
below: cylindrical container
above: cylindrical ring container |
| Volume of the high pressure container: | 12 m³ |
| Volume of the low pressure tank: | 100 m³ |
| Shutdown: | 1920s |
| Original use: | Water supply to the cemetery |
| Todays use: | Club room, occasionally observation tower |
The water tower on the Ohlsdorf cemetery is on Cordes-Allee on a high part of the cemetery grounds. With its historicizing design, it looks more like a sacred building or part of a castle complex. The tower forms a point of orientation for visitors to the cemetery on the main axis of the older cemetery area.
Building
Wilhelm Cordes - construction manager of the cemetery and later director - designed the water tower , which was built in 1898. At that time it stood on the eastern border of the cemetery (later the cemetery was expanded to the east).
The 34 m high tower contained two water tanks: a 100 m³ low pressure tank in the lower part and a high pressure tank in the upper part of the tower. The high pressure tank held only 12 m³ of water and was 18 m above the site.
In the side extension, a stone spiral staircase leads to the middle tower level above the low pressure tank. At the top, there was originally an iron spiral staircase that led through the upper container in the center of the tower to the viewing platform.
Original usage
The tower originally served to supply the cemetery with water , in particular to cover the horticultural needs. There were four other water reservoirs on the cemetery grounds, one of which is still on the north ring today.
The Parkfriedhof Ohlsdorf, opened in 1877, had its own well-planned infrastructure from the start. This also included its own water supply with two pumping stations set up in 1879. The water came partly from the cemetery well, partly from the northern pond. The demand for water increased, however, and after a few decades the wells were no longer as productive. Therefore, the cemetery was connected to the municipal water supply network in 1919. In addition, the company initially continued to operate its own water production, until it was finally abandoned in the 1920s due to the increasing deficiencies of the system.
Decay and redevelopment
During the Second World War, the large water tank was converted into an air raid shelter . In 1941 the roof beams proved to be rotten, whereupon the head was torn off and replaced with a temporary roof. The condition of the building deteriorated further in the following decades. During an inspection in 1980, a completely rusted water container was found. The masonry in the upper shaft area was in very poor condition.
In 1989 an extensive renovation began by the employment company “Arbeit und Lern GmbH”, which was completed in 1992. The tower head was faithfully restored after the water tank was removed. The old staircase was replaced by a steel staircase.
According to a plaque at the entrance, the tower was restored again in 2017.
Further use
The association " Garten der Frauen eV" has been using the former water tower since 2003 . During the summer months, the tower is open to the public on Sunday afternoons.
See also
literature
- Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: The cemetery guide. On the other side and beyond. Information, references, locations, history, addresses, advertisements. Mammut-Verlag, Leipzig 2008.
- Jens U. Schmidt: Water towers in Bremen and Hamburg. Hanseatic water towers . Regia-Verlag, Cottbus 2011, ISBN 978-3-86929-190-1 .
- Helmut Schoenfeld, Norbert Fischer , Barbara Leisner, Lutz Rehkopf: The Ohlsdorfer Friedhof. A handbook from A – Z. Edition Temmen, Bremen 2006, ISBN 3-86108-086-9 .
Web links
- Homepage of the Ohlsdorf cemetery
- Support group Ohlsdorfer Friedhof eV
- Association garden of women
- Work and Learning Ltd.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Vitavia: German: entrance area of the former water tower in the cemetery Ohlsdorf in the same district of Hamburg. August 11, 2019, accessed November 9, 2019 .
Coordinates: 53 ° 37 ′ 11.2 " N , 10 ° 2 ′ 59.6" E