The Bell Tower of Berlin Olympic Stadium is a observation tower that was built in 1934 after plans by

Werner March Werner Julius March (17 January 1894 – 11 January 1976) was a German architect, son of Otto March (1845–1913), and brother of Walter March, both also well-known German architects. Werner March designed Germany's 1936 Olympic sta ...

. The steel skeleton construction was faced with dressed limestone. The tower is located at the western end of the Olympiastadion. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Soviet troops accidentally set the tower's contents on fire and it was no longer stable. Therefore, the British engineers blew it up in 1947. The Olympic Bell – weighing 9.60

ton Ton is any of several units of measure of mass, volume or force. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. As a unit of mass, ''ton'' can mean: * the '' long ton'', which is * the ''tonne'', also called the ''metric ...

s, which had survived the fire and remained in its place in the tower – fell , cracked and has been unable to sound since then. In 1956 the bell was rescued, only in order to be used as a practice target using

anti-tank Anti-tank warfare refers to the military strategies, tactics, and weapon systems designed to counter and destroy enemy armored vehicles, particularly tanks. It originated during World War I following the first deployment of tanks in 1916, and ...

ammunition. The old bell survives to this day and serves now as a memorial. Between 1960 and 1962 the tower was rebuilt following the old plans, although the tower is now high. In it hangs the present Olympic Bell weighing 4.50 tons with the German Federal Eagle, the

Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin t ...

and the texts between the

Olympic rings The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags, and symbols to represent and enhance the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competitions such as the flame, fanfare, and theme as well as those u ...

(in

German language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...

): "Olympic Games 1936" and "I call the youth of the world". The bell rings the note F sharp. The tower is an important tourist destination offering a panorama of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs of Berlin, boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence (geography), confluence of the Havel and Spree (river), Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smalle ...

, the

Havel The Havel () is a river in northeastern Germany, flowing through the States of Germany, states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt. The long Havel is a right tributary of the Elbe. However, the direct distance from ...

Valley,

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

Nauen Nauen is a small town in the Havelland (district), Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is chiefly known for Nauen Transmitter Station, the world's oldest preserved radio transmitting installation. Geography Nauen is situated within t ...

and

Hennigsdorf Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river. History The town was first mentioned in 1375, ...

External links

Homepages of the Olympic Bell Tower in Berlin
1936 Summer Olympics Buildings and structures in Berlin Observation towers in Berlin Rebuilt buildings and structures in Berlin Towers completed in 1934 Buildings and structures demolished in 1947 Towers completed in 1962 Demolished buildings and structures in Germany 1934 establishments in Germany {{Berlin-struct-stub

See also

External links