The Siegessäule, also known as "Goldelse" ('Golden Elisa') is one of the most famous landmarks of Berlin, beside the Brandenburg Gate and the Emperor William Memorial Church. Originally erected from 1864-73 in front of the Reichstag building to commemorate the victories in the wars against Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870/71), the Siegessäule had to be moved to its present location in 1938/39 to allow the Nazi plans to be carried...(more)The Siegessäule, also known as "Goldelse" ('Golden Elisa') is one of the most famous landmarks of Berlin, beside the Brandenburg Gate and the Emperor William Memorial Church. Originally erected from 1864-73 in front of the Reichstag building to commemorate the victories in the wars against Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870/71), the Siegessäule had to be moved to its present location in 1938/39 to allow the Nazi plans to be carried out to change Berlin into a new gigantomanic World Capital "Germania". The avenue "Straße des 17. Juni" meets other major traffic routes and thus they form a big star altogether, the Victory Column standing in the center of it. With its hight of 66,89m the Victory Column leaves a great impression from ground level and it gives you a real unique view from its 50,66m high visitors platform. On your way up you will find an exhibition about its history and its artwork. Nearly all major city events touch the Brandenburg Gate and/or the Victory Column. If you want to reach this extraordinary sight, you may find it easiest to go by bus no. 100 from the Zoo or the Alexanderplatz station. When you finished your visit at the Siegessäule, don't forget to relax at the cafe Viktoria (open 11:30-19:30 april-october), located at the "Großer Stern" ('Great Star') roundabout. Afterwards you can continue your Berlin visit with a nice walk in the surrounding Tiergarten park.
The memorial was erected in 1945, only a few months after the battle of Berlin and the end of WWII in Germany. It is located in the former British sector and thus it became a Soviet enclave in West Berlin with Soviet guards standing in honour of the more than 80.000 soviet soldiers who died in the battle of Berlin. The main entrance to the memorial is guarded by two russian T 34 tanks, said to having been the first ones entering Berlin in 1945, and two heavy artillery pieces. A large bronce soviet soldier formes the central part of the memorial, to which the stones had been taken from the destroyed Reichskanzlei, the heart of the Nazi government. The inscription reads "Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battle with the German fascist occupiers for the freedom and independence of the Soviet Union".
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