Bahnwasserturm Oldenburg Hafen, Water tower near railway harbor in Oldenburg, Germany

Bahnwasserturm Oldenburg Hafen is a red brick water tower near the railway harbor with a cylindrical form and tall vertical ribs running up its sides. The structure rises 33 meters and rests on a polygonal base close to the railway bridge at Stau 144.

The tower was built in 1908 to supply water to steam locomotives and fire hydrants serving the Oldenburg railway station. It was part of the expanding railway infrastructure that the city developed in the early 20th century.

The tower demonstrates the industrial architecture of German railway infrastructure from the early 20th century through its polygonal base and exposed steel container.

The tower is not open to the general public but remains visible from the surrounding harbor area. You can view it from outside and appreciate its form from the nearby railway bridge and harbor paths.

The steel tank holds 500 cubic metres and was originally hidden behind plaster; the cladding was removed, so the riveted container now sits exposed above the brick shaft. The tower was long unused before architects Karin Baatz and Andrea Geister-Herbolzheimer converted it in 1992/93 into a large open-plan office of 220 square metres on six levels, now occupied by architecture firms.