Water tower Ratzeburg Hindenburghöhe
| Water tower Ratzeburg Hindenburghöhe |
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| Data | |
| Construction year: | 1904 |
| Modification: | 1935 |
| Tower height: | 38 m |
| Usable height: | 36.64 m |
| Container type: | Cylindrical container |
| Original container volume: | 30 m³ |
| Container volume after conversion: | 260 m³ |
| Shutdown: | 1976 |
| Original use: | Drinking water supply for Ratzeburg and the observation tower |
| Todays use: | unused |
| Monument protection: | Cultural monument since 1988 |
 relief of the Ratzeburg coat of arms |
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The Ratzeburg water tower on the Hindenburghöhe stands in a wooded area east of the old town. The simple structure protrudes over the treetops. An existing viewing platform could provide a wide view of the city and landscape. But today the tower is neither used as a water tower nor as a lookout tower (as of 2014).
Building
Today's design
The octagonal structure is a brick- clad reinforced concrete structure that was built in this form in 1935. In the base area, the tower tapers slightly towards the top, followed by four octagonal floors up to the viewing platform, which can be recognized by its wide wall openings. Above is the cylindrical water tank. The surrounding masonry is separated from the lower part of the structure by elongated vertical rows of windows.
Original design
In 1903 a water and observation tower with a square floor plan was built on the Hindenburghöhe. It was built in the neo-Romanesque style that was popular at the time . The building was lower than the current tower and carried a container with a capacity of only 30 m³.
modification
The reservoir of the water tower in the St. Georgsberg district was four meters higher than the tower on the Hindenburghöhe, which prevented the two pipeline networks from merging. In order to still make the merger possible, the tower on the Hindenburghöhe was rebuilt in 1934/35: a large container was placed on top of the existing structure, which could hold 260 m³ of water. For support, an octagonal reinforced concrete skeleton was built around the old tower, which was clad with bricks (today's condition). Inside, the old tower was completely preserved.
Development of the water supply in Ratzeburg
Until the end of the 19th century, the main source of Ratzeburg drinking water was the Ratzeburg Lake surrounding the old town island . Pumps were used for the higher parts of the city. A chemical investigation in 1887 showed, however, that the lake water was no longer suitable for drinking, the quality had deteriorated due to sewage and waste from the city.
In 1898, the entrepreneur Emil Palmer proposed the construction of a central water supply to the city council . After long negotiations between the city and the entrepreneur, the supply facility with waterworks and water tower was built in 1902/03 . An area on the Hindenburghöhe was chosen as the location for the tower, which had already been used as a lookout point. The building was planned from the outset with its dual function as a water tower and observation tower.
Decommissioning and further use
In the 1970s, the water supply systems proved so prone to failure and outdated that the city decided to build a new waterworks. The systems went into operation in 1976. Modern pumps and underground tanks with a total capacity of 2600 m³ made the water tower superfluous, so that it was shut down. It remained accessible as a lookout tower until the 1990s. Then this function had to be discontinued due to the poor state of construction.
Ratzeburg's water supply is now provided by the United Stadtwerke GmbH Bad Oldesloe - Ratzeburg - Mölln. Six waterworks with a total of 21 wells are connected to the supply network. The water is pumped from 40 m to 140 m depth.
Efforts to reuse the water tower, which was listed as a historical monument in 1988 , have so far been unsuccessful. In 1992 the artist Waldemar Erdtmann bought it. The planned renovation for cultural purposes and apartments failed due to monument protection requirements. So the tower has been empty so far. A feasibility study for a possible reopening (supported by the AktivRegion Herzogtum Lauenburg Nord eV funding initiative with 2250 euros) should be completed by 2010, but is not yet available (as of February 2014).
In 2015 there was another attempt at repairs. The new owner, a Ratzeburg real estate agent, planned to open the tower to visitors and to set up exhibition rooms after renovation. The tower should be operated by a local civic association. These plans have not yet been implemented (as of June 2020). The tower is in poor structural condition. In March 2019, squalls damaged the already dilapidated roof and blew off parts of the brick facade.
gallery
The tower head with viewing platform and container area
The octagonal walling dates from 1935.
Inside, the masonry and windows of the old tower have been preserved.
See also
swell
- Jens U. Schmidt: Water towers in Schleswig-Holstein. History and stories about the water supply in the north and its most striking buildings. Regia-Verlag, Cottbus 2008, ISBN 978-3-939656-71-5 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Project data sheet for the AktivRegion
- ^ Mölln and Ratzeburg want to reopen water towers , Lübecker Nachrichten, May 3, 2015
- ↑ Storm damages the facade of the Ratzeburg water tower , Lübecker Nachrichten, March 17, 2019
Coordinates: 53 ° 41 ′ 57.3 " N , 10 ° 47 ′ 7.2" E