Friedrich Clemens Gerke Tower, Telecommunication tower in Cuxhaven, Germany.
The Friedrich Clemens Gerke Tower is a 230 meter tall concrete structure in Cuxhaven that houses telecommunications and transmission equipment. The structure serves to transmit television signals, radio relays, and mobile phone connections across the region.
The foundation stone was laid on 26 April 1990 in the presence of Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker, Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Post Minister Christian Schwarz-Schilling. The 230-metre tower, designed by Kiel architects Gerhard Kreisel and Günter H. Müller, was completed in 1991 and entered service on 9 April 1992. It is a copy of the Kiel television tower, like the Bremen and Münster towers.
The tower is named after Friedrich Clemens Gerke, the Cuxhaven-born telegraphy pioneer who in 1848 standardised the Morse code used in Germany and Europe. The architects Gerhard Kreisel and Günter H. Müller from Kiel based its design on the Kiel television tower, as they did for Bremen and Münster.
The tower stands in Cuxhaven and is not open to the public, so it can only be viewed from outside. Its 230-metre shaft and 40-metre operating floor make it visible from much of the town and a useful bearing point along the coast. The tower sways up to 0.50 metres in wind.
The tower is a copy of the Kiel television tower; the Bremen and Münster towers share the same design by architects Gerhard Kreisel and Günter H. Müller. Its radio relay link reaches about 64 km, far enough to cover Heligoland. The antennas measure up to 4 metres across.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,360 contributors worldwide.
