The Victory Column in Berlin is a majestic monument to German history. Victory Column in Berlin - a majestic monument to the history of Germany Triumphal Column in Berlin

The name “Golden Elsa” is common among local residents - at the top of the monument there is a gilded figure of the goddess Victoria. For the Romans, it symbolized victory and was an analogue of the ancient Greek Nike. The use of this particular name is explained by the fact that this was the name of the sculptor’s daughter, who posed for him in the image of a deity. The figure was built by the talented German master Friedrich Drake.

The bronze sculpture has a height of 8.3 m and a weight of 35 tons. Victoria holds a Prussian standard in her right hand, a laurel crown in her left, and her head is decorated with a helmet with an eagle - the country’s coat of arms. To add shine to her robe, restorers needed about a kilogram of gold.

Historical facts

The victory column was created from 1865 to 1873 by order of ruler William I. It honors the military successes of the Germans in the battles against Denmark, which took place a year before construction began. They were joined by the victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the defeat of the French in 1870-1871. All battles played an important role for the state, since thanks to them it was finally possible to unite all German lands.

Observation deck at the top of the Victory Column
Victory Column in Berlin Fresco at the base of the column

The monument was erected on Royal Square, which is now called Republic Square and is located in front of the Reichstag. The official opening of the Victory Column took place on September 2, 1873, on the anniversary of the memorable battle with French troops - the Battle of Sedan. The scale of the confrontation is evidenced by the huge number of dead; their number on both sides is about 6 thousand. The monument immortalized the significant events of all the above-mentioned wars - they are captured in the form of drawings on a granite base.

Moving the monument

After the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, came to power, a plan was developed for the reconstruction of Berlin. The new Reich Chancellor planned to make the city the world capital; for this it was necessary to completely change it. The Victory Column was moved to its current location in 1938-1939 as part of perestroika. When reinstalled, another part was added to the monument, which made it 7.5 m higher.

Despite the fact that the Fuhrer’s ideas never became a reality, the monument fit perfectly into the landscape of the park area and remained intact after the surrender of Germany. In the post-war period, representatives of France made a proposal to blow it up, but other members of the anti-Hitler coalition did not support the idea. Upon completion of the division of the territory of the former Third Reich, the place where the monument is located was assigned to West Berlin, which received a special political status.

Information for tourists

Due to the lack of elevators, access to the Victoria Statue is only possible using a staircase in a column, numbering 285 steps. On the way up, stop to admire the wonderful glass mosaics created in the workshop of the Venetian artist Antonio Salviati. At an altitude of 48 m there is an observation deck, from which a beautiful view of the surrounding area opens. There is a small history museum downstairs.

Admiring the monumentality of the Brandenburg Gate under the international polyphony, one cannot help but see a column with a golden statue - the most famous landmark of Berlin in its geographical center. This is one of the most controversial monuments in the history of Prussia, which carries within itself not only the imperial heritage of the Second Reich, but also the Third Reich. After the most terrible wars of the 20th century, it is not customary in Germany to highlight the military merits of the past. A special emphasis was placed on this - the destroyed church with a clearly militaristic bias indicates the erroneous path of war. The Victory Column is a different case.

If you look closely, you can see that the fluted trunk of the column consists of four parts, symbolizing the victories of Prussia over Denmark, Austria and France. There were three victories, and four links, the attentive reader will notice. After the very successful Anschluss of Austria in early 1938, Hitler believed that he had thereby fulfilled the aspirations of all Germans of the 19th century - he had united all German lands and thus earned his part in the Victory Column. In the same year, Hitler asked his friend, one of the most famous architects of the time, to move the column from the Royal Square near the Reichstag building (today Republic Square) to the Great Star Square, where it was surrounded by statues of the great figures of the Second Reich (Chancellor Bismarck and Field Marshals Moltke and Roona) The column still stands.

“Victory Column on Royal Square, 1900” Original image: Photochrom

The goddess Victoria herself, a bronze statue by the masters Drake and Gladenbeck, bears the features of Borussia - the female embodiment of Prussia. Victoria holds in one hand a laurel wreath - a symbol of royal power, and in the other a commander's staff with an iron cross, symbolizing the military power of Prussia. The gold coating softens her belligerence and turns Victoria into a small shining sun in the center of Berlin.

Photo: Anna Flaschmann

Second World War spared this monument. Soviet troops hung the red banner of Victory on the Column. In the post-war period, attempts were made to demolish the monument several times. In 1991, a terrorist attack was launched, however, the bomb mechanism did not work properly and the convoy received only minor damage. Gradually, the message of the monument began to be forgotten, the formidable past faded into the shadows of centuries, and the place turned into a center for various mass processions and festive events. If you are in good physical shape, you can climb observation deck columns (285 steps without elevator) and enjoy views of the city.

The Victory Column is a triumphal column commemorating Germany's wars of unification. Its base is decorated with bas-reliefs of battles, and at the top is a gilded statue of the goddess of victory Victoria. It is possible to go up to the observation deck and look at Berlin from a 50-meter height.

Victory Column (Siegessäule), photo juergenberlin

Victory Column or Triumphal Column (Siegessäule) - famous historical monument, symbol . The column is located in the center of the park (Großer Tiergarten), on the Big Star Square (Großer Stern).

Victory Column - National Monument to Germany's Unification Wars

The Victory Column was built by order of William I in honor of Prussia's victories in the war with Denmark in 1864, with Austria in 1866 and with France in 1870-1871. Battle scenes from these wars are depicted on the monument. At the top there is a sculpture of the goddess of victory Victoria, which Berliners call Golden Elsa.

Sculpture of the goddess of victory Victoria (Golden Elsa), photo M-Kuhn

The triumphal column was founded in 1864 and opened on September 2, 1873 on Königsplatz near the Reichstag. By this time, the united wars had ended, and the column received a new status, which resulted in the sculpture of the Golden Elsa. In 1938-1939, at the direction of Hitler, the Victory Column was moved to Big Star Square and its height was increased by one segment (7.5 m) in honor of the annexation of Austria to Germany.

Construction and finishing

Granite column pedestal, photo by Patrick

The column is installed on a granite pedestal and is made of 4 sandstone blocks. The 3rd blocks are decorated with gilded captured weapons captured in past wars, and the 4th - with a gilded garland. On the pedestal there is a round colonnade with glass wall mosaics, and the pedestal itself is decorated with 4 bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the German unification wars and the triumphant return of troops to Berlin.

Relief depicting a battle scene, photo by jfockenberg

After the end of World War II, France demanded that reliefs reminiscent of previous German victories be removed from the column. After restoration in 1987 (for the 750th anniversary of Berlin), all 4 reliefs returned to their place.

Observation deck

Staircase to the top, photo Futzliputzli

View from the observation deck, photo Patrick McGrath

The total height of the column is 66.89 m. There is an observation deck at the top, so anyone can climb the 285 steps of the spiral staircase to a height of 50.66 m and view Berlin from above.

Exit to the Victory Column, photo Alex-Berlin

You can approach the Victory Column via underground pedestrian crossings.

Opening hours of the observation deck

From April to October: Mon-Fri 09:30 - 18:30, Sat and Sun 09:30 - 19:00;
from November to March: Mon-Fri 09:30 - 17:30, Sat and Sun 09:30 - 17:30;
closed December 24th.

Ticket prices

Full – €3;
preferential – €2.50.

How to get there

Take metro U9 to Hansaplatz station or bus 100, 106, 187 to Großer Stern stop.

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Historical monument in ; one of the main tourist sites. Locals They call the statue crowning the column “Golden Elsa.” It has long become a symbol of the city and is under state protection. The reason for the construction of such a tall monument in the Tiergarten park was the Prussian victory in the war of 1864.

The victory over Denmark was soon supplemented by a victory in the Austro-Prussian War and a victory in Franco-Prussian War. The column was erected in 1873 according to the design of the architect I. G. Strack. The author of the bronze figure decorating the monument was Friedrich Drake. Despite the fact that it is called “Golden Elsa”, in fact it is a statue of the goddess of victory Nika (Victoria). Its height is 8.3 meters and its weight is about 35 tons. In 1987, a kilogram of gold was allocated for the outer robe of the statue.

The total height of the entire column is almost 67 m. Initially, the monument consisted of only three parts in honor of the three victories won in the 19th century, and the column itself was located in front of the Reichstag. But in the late 1930s, as part of reconstruction planning, the monument was enlarged by adding a fourth part and moved to its current location. The column looks especially beautiful in the evening, illuminated by artificial light.

It survived all the wars of the 20th century with virtually no damage. From the observation deck of the column an ​​excellent panorama of the city opens. You can get to your destination by metro - the nearest station is Hansaplatz.

Photo attraction: Victory Column

Germany is famous for its attractions that reflect the history and architecture of this country. There are especially many magnificent monuments, architectural masterpieces And interesting places precisely in Berlin, the capital of Germany.

One of the most beautiful and majestic attractions of this country is the Triumphal Column (Siegessule), which reflects the power and strength of the German people and is located on Big Star Square.

History of the appearance of the monument

The triumphal column appeared in the 19th century. by order of the monarch William the First as a symbol of the great victories in the Prussian-Danish War in 1864. However, by the solemn moment of the opening of this majestic monument, Prussia had managed to distinguish itself in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, as well as in the Franco-Prussian battle in 1871. Consequently, it was decided to dedicate this beautiful monument to the victories in these three wars.

The creator of this magnificent monument of history and architecture of the country is the talented architect Johann Stract, but the statue of the Goddess of Victory itself was invented and embodied by the famous sculptor of his time Friedrich Drake, who was assisted by such masters as Alexander Calandrelli, Karl Keil, Moritz Schulz and Albert Wolf.
First, it was decided to install a column on Royal Square (or, as it is otherwise called, on Republic Square) in front of the Reichstag. However, then, by order of Hitler in 1938, the Triumphal Column was moved to Tigraten Park, on Big Star Square, where this majestic monument is still located.

Description of the monument

It is worth taking a closer look at the magnificent monument to Germany as one of the main attractions of the country.

The basis of the monument is a granite base depicting episodes of battles.

The column of the monument is made of 4 sandstone blocks, 3 of which symbolize the victory of Germany in 3 wars, but the fourth block was completed only in 1938 in connection with the unification of Germany and Austria.


Each block is decorated with mosaics and captured weapons that were obtained during battles.

After the end of World War II, the French military achieved the removal of relief decorations due to the defeat of the Germans in this war, and only in the early 90s the monument was returned to its original appearance with relief decoration.

The statue of Goddess Victoria is about 8 meters high. Today, this statue has gilded clothes, for which the state allocated a kilogram of gold, as a result of which this statue is popularly called Golden Elsa.

The original height of the monument was 50 meters, but when it was transferred to the park complex, another tier was added, and now the height of the column is about 67 meters.

To see the beauty of majestic Berlin, you need to climb the stairs inside the column, which consists of 285 steps.

At the base of the column you can visit historical museum, and also buy souvenirs for yourself, family and friends in an excellent souvenir shop.
You need to get to the observation deck in the Triumphal Column only through a passage, since the column itself is surrounded by a road. There are 2 entrances to the passage, which are gazebos.

The monument is open to visitors all year round, without breaks or weekends, to give everyone the opportunity to visit this landmark of Berlin.

Triumphal column in cinema and music

It should be noted that this monument was the meeting place of angels in the film “Sky over Berlin” directed by Wim Wenders. It is no coincidence that this particular column is presented as such an important place in this film history.


U2 used the image of the Goddess of Victory in their video for the famous song "Stay".

This monument also played an important role in the work of musician Paul Van Dyck, who created his hit “For an Angel”, inspired by the splendor of the Triumphal Column as a monument of architecture and history of Germany.

The Triumphal Column represents an important element of German architecture and an excellent reminder of the people's victories in three wars, immortalizing glory and valor in a majestic column.
Address: Großer Stern, 10557 Berlin, Germany