It’s one of Berlin’s most recognizable attractions and a symbol of the city.
The Siegessaule, or Victory Column, is a monument that was erected in 1873 to celebrate the Kingdom of Prussia’s victories over Denmark, Austria, and France in 3 conflicts known as the Wars of German Unification.
Located today in the heart of the Tiergarten, Berlin’s central park, it is a stop on Berlin’s famed 100 bus line.
The monument rises 67 meters (or 220 ft.) and consists of a base of polished red granite, on which hangs 4 bronze reliefs with scenes from the victories.
The portico consists of 16 columns that protect a mosaic frieze, which also scenes from the unification wars.
The base is topped by 4 sandstone columns, 3 of which are dedicated to one specific war, each adorned with gilded cannon, taken as spoils of war.
The monument is crowned with a gold statue of Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory (who Berliners refer to as Golden Lizzy).
At the time of recording, an entrance ticket is just 4 Euro.
There’s a small museum near the entrance displaying models of other national monuments throughout Germany.
To get to the top, you’ll have to climb 285 steps to reach the summit, but the views are totally worth it.
And due to its strategic location, it was witness to some of the most intense fighting during the final days of the Battle of Berlin.
The damage is apparent right at the base.
The marble cladding shows the now familiar potmarks from bullet and mortar fire.
And the 4 bronze reliefs covering each of the 4 sides are riddled with bullet holes.
Some figures are missing heads or hands.
Even the clergy and Jesus weren’t spared.
And the marble column at the first lookout point clearly shows signs of combat.
And throughout this level you will see battle scars of all kinds.
I suspect there was significantly more damage as a result of the war, with some of it being repaired.
The Siegesaule is a stop on my Third Reich and WW2 audio tour, which you could find in my free Berlin trip planning app.
The app allows you to choose the things that you want to experience in Berlin and plot them on a map.
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See you in the next video.
Tschüss!