Bismarck Tower (Bad Ems)

About

The Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems on the Lahn in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis of Rhineland-Palatinate was built in honour of the first German Chancellor, Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898). Designed by architect Wilhelm Kreis (1873–1955), the tower stands east of the city centre on the Bismarckhöhe, is twelve and a half meters high, and was inaugurated in 1901.

After Bismarck's death in 1898, there was a widespread movement in the German Empire to erect monuments in honour of the former chancellor. In Bad Ems—where Otto von Bismarck had been an honorary citizen since 1895—a group of his supporters proposed the construction of a Bismarck Tower in January 1900. Later that same year, it was decided to build the tower on a hill of the mountain Auf dem Klopp, east of the city center, using the model design Götterdämmerung by architect Wilhelm Kreis.

In 1899, Kreis won a competition held by the German Student Association with his design. The association had envisioned a network of so-called "fire columns" across Germany, where large fire bowls would be lit on specific days in honour of Bismarck. The Bismarck Column of the Götterdämmerung model was built more than 40 times throughout the German Empire as a standardized design ( Typenbau ) until 1911.

The city acquired the building site and provided it free of charge. The construction itself was financed through donations from citizens, spa guests, and the spa commission. The building permit for the tower was granted on June 7, 1900.

The foundation stone was laid on June 26, 1900, marking the start of construction. The construction work was not supervised by the architect Wilhelm Kreis himself but was carried out by the Bad Ems building contractor Wilhelm Jacob Balzer. The primary building materials used were quartzite from a nearby quarry near Kemmenau and basalt from a quarry in Niedermendig in the Eastern Eifel.

The construction progressed quickly. By January 1901, the structural work had been officially approved, and by April, the tower was completed. The Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems was ceremonially inaugurated on May 10, 1901. On the evening of the inauguration day, the fire bowl on top of the tower was lit for the first time. A Bismarck coat of arms was mounted on the south side of the tower, facing the slope. The total cost of the structure, including the land, amounted to 11,740 gold marks.

On April 1, 1902, a Bismarck Association was founded in Bad Ems to maintain the tower and light the fire bowl on commemorative days. After the inauguration, the fire bowl was regularly lit in the evening on April 1, Bismarck's birthday. However, these commemorative fires were discontinued after only a few years, with the last recorded lighting taking place on April 1, 1913. It is believed that the tradition was not revived after the end of World War I and the occupation of the Rhineland. The Bismarck Tower remained largely unscathed throughout the following decades and World War II.

After World War II, the Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems was neglected and eventually stripped of its function as a free-standing monument. In 1977/78, a nearly four-meter-high restaurant building was added to the lower part of the tower, directly against its west and south walls. The modern flat-roof architecture of the addition stands in stark contrast to the historicist style of the tower. The addition also resulted in the destruction of most of the tower's base and its two-tiered pedestal. Furthermore, by the 1980s, the Bismarck coat of arms that had been mounted on the south side of the tower was removed.

In the 1990s, the restaurant was abandoned, the building stood vacant for years, and the Bismarck Tower continued to be neglected. By the end of the 1990s, the tower was in a state that required renovation. In preparation for its centenary, the structure was at least partially repaired. The 100th anniversary of the inauguration of the Bismarck Tower was celebrated with a ceremony in May 2001.

Since 2006, the restaurant at the Bismarck Tower has been in operation again, while the interior of the tower is used as storage space. The tower can no longer be climbed, as the iron rungs originally installed on the walls inside are only partially preserved, and three of the originally present resting platforms have been removed.

After Bismarck's death in 1898, there was a widespread movement in the German Empire to erect monuments in honour of the former chancellor. In Bad Ems—where Otto von Bismarck had been an honorary citizen since 1895—a group of his supporters proposed the construction of a Bismarck Tower in January 1900. Later that same year, it was decided to build the tower on a hill of the mountain Auf dem Klopp, east of the city center, using the model design Götterdämmerung by architect Wilhelm Kreis.

In 1899, Kreis won a competition held by the German Student Association with his design. The association had envisioned a network of so-called "fire columns" across Germany, where large fire bowls would be lit on specific days in honour of Bismarck. The Bismarck Column of the Götterdämmerung model was built more than 40 times throughout the German Empire as a standardized design ( Typenbau ) until 1911.

The city acquired the building site and provided it free of charge. The construction itself was financed through donations from citizens, spa guests, and the spa commission. The building permit for the tower was granted on June 7, 1900.

The foundation stone was laid on June 26, 1900, marking the start of construction. The construction work was not supervised by the architect Wilhelm Kreis himself but was carried out by the Bad Ems building contractor Wilhelm Jacob Balzer. The primary building materials used were quartzite from a nearby quarry near Kemmenau and basalt from a quarry in Niedermendig in the Eastern Eifel.

The construction progressed quickly. By January 1901, the structural work had been officially approved, and by April, the tower was completed. The Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems was ceremonially inaugurated on May 10, 1901. On the evening of the inauguration day, the fire bowl on top of the tower was lit for the first time. A Bismarck coat of arms was mounted on the south side of the tower, facing the slope. The total cost of the structure, including the land, amounted to 11,740 gold marks.

On April 1, 1902, a Bismarck Association was founded in Bad Ems to maintain the tower and light the fire bowl on commemorative days. After the inauguration, the fire bowl was regularly lit in the evening on April 1, Bismarck's birthday. However, these commemorative fires were discontinued after only a few years, with the last recorded lighting taking place on April 1, 1913. It is believed that the tradition was not revived after the end of World War I and the occupation of the Rhineland. The Bismarck Tower remained largely unscathed throughout the following decades and World War II.

After World War II, the Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems was neglected and eventually stripped of its function as a free-standing monument. In 1977/78, a nearly four-meter-high restaurant building was added to the lower part of the tower, directly against its west and south walls. The modern flat-roof architecture of the addition stands in stark contrast to the historicist style of the tower. The addition also resulted in the destruction of most of the tower's base and its two-tiered pedestal. Furthermore, by the 1980s, the Bismarck coat of arms that had been mounted on the south side of the tower was removed.

In the 1990s, the restaurant was abandoned, the building stood vacant for years, and the Bismarck Tower continued to be neglected. By the end of the 1990s, the tower was in a state that required renovation. In preparation for its centenary, the structure was at least partially repaired. The 100th anniversary of the inauguration of the Bismarck Tower was celebrated with a ceremony in May 2001.

Since 2006, the restaurant at the Bismarck Tower has been in operation again, while the interior of the tower is used as storage space. The tower can no longer be climbed, as the iron rungs originally installed on the walls inside are only partially preserved, and three of the originally present resting platforms have been removed.

The Bismarck Tower of Bad Ems has square base walls, and the tower itself is also square. However, the massive appearance is softened by three-quarter columns at the corners of the tower body.