After nine months of intensive renovation work, the 64-meter-high water tower in Hamburg Rothenburgsort is shining in new splendor. Thanks to federal funding from the Federal Cultural Authority, the bricks, joints and windows of the Hamburg and Rothenburgsort landmark were completely renovated and existing cracks were eliminated.
In particular, the large lightning strike, which stretches over 50m along the west facade of the tower, required extensive repairs. Inside the tower, the masonry was desalinated, the staircase was repaired and the electrical equipment was replaced. To celebrate the completion of the work, Mayor Carola Veit visited the historic tower today. Together with HAMBURG WASSER Managing Director Ingo Hannemann, the two symbolically laid one of the last new bricks.
“The Rothenburgsort water tower is a technical masterpiece of its time and the oldest water tower on the European mainland. Built in 1848, it is an important monument of engineering. Even though it no longer serves any function in our network today, it is worth preserving as a landmark and as an important piece of technical history,” says Ingo Hannemann, spokesman for the management of HAMBURG WATER.
Originally planned as a square tower, the engineer William Lindley opted for the round shape in the mid-19th century, which goes back to a design by the town planner and architect Alexis de Chateauneuf. The tower was not a water storage tower, but a pressure equalization tower. The pressure in the supply network could be regulated via a riser and a downpipe inside the tower. This made it possible for the first time to supply individual households with drinking water. A particularly ingenious design: William Lindley integrated a chimney between the two tower pipes, through which the flue gases created when firing the pumping station’s steam boiler, which was still coal-fired at the time, could escape. Their residual heat prevented the water in the riser and downpipe from freezing.
For the comprehensive renovation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research provided a total of 1.087 million euros from funds for the promotion of renovation measures within the framework of the Special Monument Protection Program IX.
“I am very pleased that the renovation work on the water tower has been completed! I think we can be proud that Hamburg was the first city in Germany to receive a modern central water supply for all citizens, thus taking on a pioneering role. But it is equally important to emphasize that the water tower is a special landmark for the Rothenburgsort district and its residents, which – as one of the few buildings in Rothenburgsort – survived the firestorm. This makes it all the more important to preserve this monument! The water tower can finally be opened to visitors on special occasions. The renovation was successful with the help of special monument protection funds from the federal government together with the city of Hamburg. By preserving the monument, we are creating identity and an awareness of the past!” says Carola Veit, President of the Hamburg Parliament.
During today’s event, HAMBURG WASSER announced tours of the tower so that the interested public can see for themselves the completely renovated tower.
“As a critical infrastructure company, we normally have to keep ourselves pretty isolated,” explains Ingo Hannemann. “However, we will give people the opportunity to view the tower during the renovation. We are currently planning a program that will probably be offered at the end of the year.”
