Berger memorial, Observation tower in Witten, Germany
The Berger memorial is a 21-meter sandstone tower in the Hohenstein recreation area, displaying the city coat of arms of Witten and the Westphalian horse on one side. A spiral staircase inside leads up to a viewing room with views across the Ruhr Valley and the Hohenstein hydropower plant.
The gymnastics community of Witten built this memorial between 1902 and 1904 to honor Louis Constanz Berger, an industrialist and community co-founder. Its construction occurred during a period of industrialization and modernization of the Ruhr region.
The memorial reflects Wilhelminian architectural traditions and stands as a notable landmark along the Route of Industrial Culture. Visitors can grasp the significance of regional industrial history through the views and surroundings experienced from above.
You can climb the spiral staircase and reach the viewing room at the top for open views of the surroundings. The best time to visit is in clear weather when you can enjoy the full extent of the distant views.
The dedication text above the entrance honors Berger as a defender of people's rights and marks him as Witten's first honorary citizen in 1884. This detail reveals how closely private industrial history was tied to the public life of the city.
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