Funkturm Berlin
Encyclopedia
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
ground in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the fourth borough of Berlin, formed in the 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf.-Overview:Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf covers the western centre of the City of Berlin...
borough. On September 3, 1926, the radio tower was inaugurated on the occasion of the 3. Große Deutsche Funkausstellung
Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin
The IFA or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin is one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany. Between 1924 and 1939 it was an annual event, but as from 1950 it was organized on a two yearly basis until 2005. Since then it has become an annual event again, held in September...
(Great German Radio Exhibition). The tower is now a protected monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
.
Building method
The tower is built as one large steel framework constructionLattice tower
A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding framework tower. They can be used as electricity pylons especially for voltages above 100 kilovolts, as a radio tower or as an observation tower....
, similar to the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris. The 150 m high and approximately 600 metric ton radio tower was originally planned strictly as a transmitting tower, but later additions included a restaurant at a height of approximately 52 m, and observation deck at a height of approximately 125 m. Visitors reach the restaurant and the observation deck by an elevator which travels up to 6 meters per second.
The radio tower has two very notable structural characteristics. First, it sits on a square surface area merely 20 meters to a side. Its ratio of surface area to height is 1:6.9. For comparison, the Eiffel Tower sits on a square 129 meters to a side, giving surface-area-to-height ratio of 1:2.3. Second, the radio tower is probably the only observation tower in the world standing on porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
insulator
Electrical insulation
thumb|250px|[[Coaxial Cable]] with dielectric insulator supporting a central coreThis article refers to electrical insulation. For insulation of heat, see Thermal insulation...
s. It was designed as the support tower for a T-antenna for medium wave, and the insulators were intended to prevent the drain of the transmitting power down through the tower itself. However, this was impractical, because visitors would have been vulnerable to massive electric shocks, so the tower was later grounded via its elevator shaft. The insulators used were manufactured in the Koeniglich Preussische Porzellanmanufaktur (Royal Prussian Porcelain Factory
Royal Porcelain Manufacture Berlin
The Royal Porcelain Manufacture Berlin was founded in 1763 by Frederick II of Prussia...
).
On March 22, 1935, the first regular television program in the world was broadcast from an aerial on the top of the tower. Since 1962, the tower is no longer used for TV transmissions. Since 1973, the radio tower no longer serves as a regular transmission tower for broadcasting purposes, but it is still used as relay station for amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
, police radio
Police radio
Police radio is a communications radio system used by law enforcement agencies all over the world.Many such systems are encrypted to prevent eavesdroppers from listening in.-Portable radios:...
, and mobile phone services. The last complete renovation took place in the year 1987 in honor of the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin.
Dimensions of the tower
- Heights
- height of kitchen: 48.122 m
- height of restaurant: 51.652 m
- height of observation pulpit: 121.492 m
- height of observation platform: 124.092 m
- height of tower shaft: 129.292 m
- height of tower: 150.062 m
- Cross sections of the tower
- spreading of the footings directly above the foundations: 18.5 m
- distance of the foundation edges at the ground: 24.5 m
- cross section in the kitchen: 9.1 m
- cross section at base of restaurant: 15 m
- cross section of the restaurant roof: 18.7 m
- cross section of observation pulpit: 4.4 m
- cross section of observation platform: 7.9 m
- Other cross sections
- cross section of the basement plates at the ground: 5.7 m
- cross sections lift well
- underneath restaurant: 4.05 m
- above restaurant: 2.4 m
- Weight: 600 metric tons
Chronicle of the Berliner Funkturm
- December 1924: After the end of the First Radio Exhibition, construction of the radio tower was started. For this fair, at the location of the today's radio tower, a 120 meters tall antenna mast was erected, which served as crane for building the tower.
- April 1925: The radio tower is finished in the infrastructure.
- September 25, 1925: Inauguration of the transmitter on medium wave frequency 520.8 kHz. A single T-antennaT-antennaA T-antenna is an antenna whereby "a vertical or sloping wire is connected to the approximate centre of a straight horizontal top wire" . This forms its characteristic "T"-shape.-External links:*...
was strung between the top of the tower and an 80-meter-high guyed steel framework mast. - 1925–26: To protect visitors from electrical hazards, the radio tower was grounded about its elevator shaft, although this directed the beam of the radio transmitter away from the center of Berlin.
- March 28, 1926: Acceptance of the radio tower by the construction offices.
- September 3, 1926: Radio tower opened to the public at the inauguration of the Third Great German Radio Exhibition (Funkausstellung).
- 1929: Retuning of the medium wave transmitter to 716 kHz, first television transmission tests.
- December 20, 1933: the new large transmitter in Berlin Tegel takes over the broadcast transmissions from the radio tower. After this, the medium wave transmitter at the radio tower is only a backup transmitter for Berlin Tegel.
- 1934: Retuning of the medium wave transmitter (as a backup unit for Berlin Tegel), to 834 kHz
- March 22, 1935: From an antenna of the top of the radio tower, the first regular television program of the world is transmitted
- August 22, 1935: Major fire in the exhibition hall at the radio tower destroys all transmission devices at the radio tower. Flying sparks also burn out the tower restaurant.
- December 23, 1935: Resumption of television broadcasts.
- 1938: Television transmitting equipment removed from the tower.
- 1939–1945: The radio tower serves as a warning and observation post.
- April 19, 1945: Projectiles destroy one of the four legs of the tower at a height of 38 meters. The restaurant is again burned out.
- 1945: Repair of the destroyed tower leg with 800 kg screws and 7.2 tons steel.
- 1948: Experiments with directed radio transmission toward the mountain of HarzHarzThe Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
. - May 28, 1950: The tower restaurant reopens.
- 1951: Assembly of one superturnstile antenna on the top of the tower for the broadcast of FM radio and television programs. With this antenna, the tower grew around 12 meters, from 138 metres to 150 metres.
- October 1, 1951: Resumption of the television transmissions which were disrupted by World War II and the immediate post-war period.
- May 15, 1963: After completion of the 230-meter-high transmission mast near Scholzplatz, regular transmissions of television and broadcast programs from the tower were almost terminated.
- 1973: End of any regular broadcast transmission from the radio tower.
- 1989: Disassembly of the tower's last transmitters for broadcast of radio and television.
Similar constructions
- Torre Jaume ITorre Jaume ITorre Jaume I is a 107 metre high steel truss tower in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, which was built in 1931 by Carlos Boigas. The tower is the second-tallest aerial lift pylon in the world, and is a part of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway from Torre Sant Sebastia to Montjuïc. Torre Jaume I also has...
an observation tower used as aerial tramway support pillar looks very similar. - Communications tower of Shepparton, VictoriaShepparton, VictoriaShepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
.