Fareworm Berlin: Like the cross the GDR leadership angry!

Fareworm Berlin: Like the cross the GDR leadership angry!

Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Deutschland - On October 3, 1969, the television tower on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin was ceremoniously inaugurated. With a height of 368 meters, it is the highest building in Germany and is considered one of the most striking landmarks in Berlin, next to the Brandenburg Gate. The construction of the iconic tower, the main purpose of which was the creation of its own radio and television infrastructure for the GDR, was completed 20 years after the foundation of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The technical pioneering performance required holes up to 80 meters deep, with the Brandenburg gravel as the ideal building reason. The tower weighs a total of 26,000 tons, which corresponds to around 216 locomotives. The article by Welt reports of the history of the tower and its political importance.

The building began in May 1965, even if some state -approved documents were still missing. The architect Hermann Henselmann designed a narrow cylindrical shaft with a spherical viewing platform. The television tower quickly became the symbol of the technological progress of the GDR and represented an impressive backdrop during the Cold War. The construction took place in a time of political change, which was of great importance for the GDR because the government tried to demonstrate its superiority in socialism.

the unwanted cross

A fascinating but unwanted phenomenon of the television tower is the light cross that becomes visible in the sunshine. The light reflects in the silver ball of the tower, which is about 200 meters above Alexanderplatz. This reflection was not intended by the tower builders; Instead, the GDR authorities wanted to demonstrate the dominance of socialism with the construction. Historian Peter Müller describes the motivation of the GDR superiors as "here is the GDR, we are the biggest".

The Lichtkreuz, which has been visible since autumn 1968, attracted the attention of the SED leadership and was perceived as a problem by the chairman of the State Council Walter Ulbricht because it was not welcome in the atheistic regime. Fabric for mockery also provided this phenomenon in the west, where the light cross was mocked as the "revenge of the Pope" or the television tower as "Saint Walter". Reflections to remove the cross were made, but the situation turned out to be complicated and expensive. While the Ministry of State Security examined the situation, the Stasi found no evidence of sabotage and ultimately the tower was left as planned.

a popular destination

After reunification in 1990, the television tower developed into one of the most famous and most popular buildings in Berlin. Around 1.2 million people visit the viewing platform every year. The television tower remains not only a monument to GDR history, but also an outstanding example of engineering and architecture that is important beyond the borders of Germany. Today it is a sign of overcoming the division and is continuously modernized in order to meet today's requirements of digital communication.

A visit to the television tower usually takes 1 to 2 hours, with the best visiting times early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid long queues. The television tower is currently a significant testimony to the history of Berlin, which remains anchored in the memory of the visitors.