The television tower, a true emblem of Berlin
Anyone who has been to Berlin must have seen it. It is impossible not to see her. Indeed, with its 368 meters, the television tower of Berlin (Berliner Fernsehturm) is the highest building free of access to the public in Europe. But it is much more than that since, fifty years later, it has become one of the emblems of the city.
1. Communist superiority
If its construction began in 1965, the Berlin TV Tower was inaugurated on October 3, 1969, at the request of Walter Ulbricht (GDR). It was for years the symbol of his party, a tower built to show the superiority of communism over capitalism and used as the sole system of broadcasting television. The purpose of building the Berlin TV Tower was then to show that the East was working to create a better future.
2. The Pope's Revenge
At 368 meters high, the tower is the tallest structure in Germany… and even in Europe! It is located in the center of Alexanderplatz, the most important square of the former German Democratic Republic (Soviet area). The main curiosity of the tower is that the metal which covers the main part of the structure reflects a giant cross when the sun rises in the morning: this phenomenon is considered “the Pope's revenge” against the Communist regime.
3. More than a million tourists
In 2015, the Berlin Fernsehturm is fifty years old and as has been said, it has become one of the emblems of the German city, a real tourist attraction. Thus, each year, it receives more than a million tourists from 86 different countries.
It is the reflection of this reunified city, steeped in history and in constant change. This tower has also become trendy! If you have the courage to climb to the top, you can bring back from your trip posters, T-shirts or cushions decorated with the design of the Berlin TV Tower.
