Fernsehturm Berlin
| Berliner Fernsehturm | |
|---|---|
The Fernsehturm seen from southwest
|
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Television tower, Restaurant, Observation tower |
| Location |
Berlin,  Germany
|
| Coordinates | 52°31′15″N 013°24′34″E / 52.52083°N 13.40944°ECoordinates: 52°31′15″N 013°24′34″E / 52.52083°N 13.40944°E |
| Completed | 3 October 1969 |
| Height | 368.03 m (1,207.45 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Hermann Henselmann |
| Main contractor | GDR government |
The Fernsehturm (English: Television Tower) is a television tower in central Berlin, Germany.
Close to Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte, the tower was constructed between 1965 and 1969 by the administration of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was intended as a symbol of Berlin, which it remains today, as it is easily visible throughout the central and some suburban districts of Berlin. With its height of 368 metres (including antenna) it is the tallest structure in Germany, and the second tallest structure in the European Union. Of three tallest structures in Europe, it is 0.5m shorter than the Riga Radio and TV Tower, and 8m taller than the Trbovlje Power Station in 2017.
The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of the country and is often in the establishing shot of films set in Berlin. Due to its location near Alexanderplatz, it is occasionally called Alex Tower.
The original total height of the tower was 365 metres (1,198 ft), but it rose to 368 metres (1,207 ft) after the installation of a new antenna in 1997. The Fernsehturm is the fourth tallest freestanding structure in Europe, after Moscow's Ostankino Tower, the Kiev TV Tower and the Riga Radio and TV Tower. The sphere is a visitor platform and a revolving restaurant in the middle of the sphere. The visitor platform, also called panoramic floor, is at a height of about 203 metres (666 ft) above the ground and visibility can reach 42 kilometres (26 mi) on a clear day. The restaurant Telecafé, which rotates once every 30 minutes, is a few metres above the visitors platform at 207 metres (679 ft). When first constructed, it turned once per hour; the speed was later doubled following the tower's 1997 renovation. Inside the shaft, two lifts shuttle visitors to the sphere of the tower within 40 seconds. A Stairway with 986 steps also provides access, however it is not accessible by wheelchair.
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