Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
memorate Bismarck's victories. I imagine the statues of Moltke and other German military
greats—which lurk in the trees nearby—goose-stepping around the floodlit angel at night.
Originally standing at the Reichstag, in 1938 the tower was moved to this position and
given a 25-foot lengthening by Hitler's architect Albert Speer, in anticipation of the planned
re-envisioning of Berlin as “Germania”—the capital of a worldwide Nazi empire. Streets
leading to the circle are flanked by surviving Nazi guardhouses, built in the stern style
that fascists loved. At the memorial's first level, notice how WWII bullets chipped the fine
marble columns. From 1989 to 2003, the column was the epicenter of the Love Parade (Ber-
lin's city-wide techno-hedonist street party), and it was the backdrop for Barack Obama's
summer2008visittoGermanyasapresidential candidate.(Heaskedtospeakinfrontofthe
Brandenburg Gate, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to save that symbol from
“politics.”)
Climbing its 270 steps earns you a breathtaking Berlin-wide view and a close-up of
the gilded bronze statue of the goddess Victoria (go ahead, call her “the chick on a
stick”—everybody here does). You might recognize Victoria from Wim Wenders' 1987 art-
house classic
Wings of Desire
, or the
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
video he directed for the
rock band U2.
Cost and Hours:
€2.20; April-Oct Mon-Fri 9:30-18:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-19:00; Nov-
MarchMon-Fri10:00-17:00,Sat-Sun10:00-17:30;closesintherain,WCsforpayingguests
only, no elevator, bus #100, tel. 030/8639-8560. From the tower, the grand Strasse des 17
Juni leads east to the Brandenburg Gate.
A colorful flea market thrives weekends on Strasse des 17 Juni, with great antiques, more
than 200 stalls, collector-savvy merchants, and fun German fast-food stands (Sat-Sun
6:00-16:00, right next to S-Bahn: Tiergarten).
