Einstein Tower, Solar observatory in Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
The Einstein Tower is a solar observatory on Telegrafenberg hill in Potsdam with a zinc-clad dome and curved exterior walls. The building houses telescope equipment and underground laboratories for studying solar magnetic fields.
Architect Erich Mendelsohn designed the observatory from 1919 with curved forms in the expressionist style and completed it in 1924. Material shortages after World War I led to the use of brick masonry under stucco instead of concrete.
The structure represents a physical manifestation of Einstein's relativity theory through its design, making it a significant example of expressionist architecture in Germany.
The observatory operates as a research facility of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics and can be visited during occasional guided tours. Access is via paths through the wooded Telegrafenberg with some uphill sections.
The tower retains the original telescopes from 1924 and continues research on the sun. Astronomers in training still learn the basics of solar observation here today.
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