Consider the irony. This Siegessäule celebrates victory but began before the greatest triumphs. Originally, it honored Prussia’s win in the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864. Yet, by its completion in 1873, Prussia had also conquered Austria and France.
The Siegessäule commemorates these later victories. They inspired the addition of Victoria. She is the Roman goddess of victory. Friedrich Drake designed the statue. This addition gave the Siegessäule its current height of 67 meters.
The column stood in Königsplatz. Today it is Platz der Republik. In 1938 and 1939, the Nazis moved the Siegessäule. It was part of their plan to transform Berlin. They wanted to create the world capital Germania. The column moved to its present site at the Großer Stern. Another section was added at the same time. This raised the column to its present height.
Berliners affectionately call the Victoria statue Goldelse. This means Golden Lizzy. It’s named after an 1866 novel by E. Marlitt. The novel’s heroine inspired the nickname.
The base of the Siegessäule consists of polished red Swedish granite. It measures 18.8 meters square. It is 7.2 meters high. The base has four bronze reliefs. These depict scenes from the three victories. Moritz Schulz designed them. Karl Keil, Alexander Calandrelli, and Albert Wolff also contributed. Above the base is a round hall. It features 16 granite columns. They measure 4.7 meters high. A glass mosaic encircles the hall. Anton von Werner designed it.
Four sandstone columns rise above this hall. The first three contain 20 gilded gun barrels each. They came from the Danish victory. Eight-pounders came from the Austrian victory. Four-pounders came from the French victory. The 8.52-meter-tall gilded bronze Victoria sits atop the fourth sandstone column.
The relief decoration was once removed in 1945. French President François Mitterrand restored it. This happened for Berlin’s 750th-anniversary in 1987.
The Siegessäule survived World War II largely unscathed. It is accessible to pedestrians through four tunnels. Albert Speer planned these. A spiral staircase leads to a viewing platform under the statue.
Soviet troops nicknamed the column the Tall Woman. This happened during the Battle of Berlin in 1945. Polish Army troops hoisted the Polish flag on the column. They fought alongside their Soviet allies. This was on May 2, 1945. It marked the end of the Battle in Berlin. This is celebrated yearly as Polish National Flag Day.
The French tricolor was raised atop the column. French troops raised it during the allied victory parade in 1945.
Barack Obama gave a speech in Berlin at the Siegessäule. This was during his visit to Germany in 2008. He was a US presidential candidate then.
The viewing platform offers a panoramic view over Berlin. It is at the top of a spiral staircase of 285 steps. The climb requires a reasonable level of fitness.
From here, you can enjoy views across Tiergarten Park. The viewing platform is open nearly all year round.