The 25 meter high Hochfirst Tower in Titisee-Neustadt is one of the oldest steel truss towers in the world. © BonMichel/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons
Some of the oldest steel truss towers in the world are located in southwest Germany. These impressive buildings tell exciting stories from the past.
The architectural marvel of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is known worldwide. This iron tower is a prime example of steel or iron truss towers found in many countries. The highest tower of this type is the TV Tower in Kiev with a height of 385 meters. However, the first representatives of this construction method emerged in Germany, more precisely in Baden-Württemberg.
Three of the oldest steel truss towers in the world are in Baden-Württemberg
A tour through southwest Germany leads to three of the oldest steel truss towers in the world. The first of these towers was built in 1883 in the Büchenbronn district of Pforzheim and measures 26 meters in height. The Gustav Vietor Tower in the Rheingau-Taunus district is older, but was demolished in 2006.
Therefore, the Büchenbronn observation tower and the “Götzinger Höhe” tower in Saxony, built in the same year by the same company, are the oldest steel-framed buildings in the world that still exist. In 1888, five years after the Büchenbronn observation tower, the observation tower was built on the Wanne in Villingen-Schwenningen, in the largest twin city in Germany. This 30 meter high tower has three platforms that provide a wide view over the city in Baden-Württemberg.
More steel truss towers in Baden-Württemberg
The third of the oldest steel truss towers in the world is located in Titisee-Neustadt. The 25 meter high Hochfirst Tower was built in 1890 and has served not only as a viewing tower since 1960, but also as a radio and direction mast. A special feature of this tower is the separate ascent and descent route. The Büchenbronn observation tower and the observation tower on the Wanne are popular hiking destinations and can be visited free of charge.
However, the Hochfirstturm in Titisee-Neustadt is currently closed. There are other steel truss towers in Baden-Württemberg. In Villingen-Schwenningen you can find the Hubenloch observation tower and from the Lemberg Tower in the Swabian Alb you have the widest view in all of Germany. Another tower with a bizarre record is in the neighboring federal state; the most leaning tower in the world is in Rhineland-Palatinate. (yk)
