View source for Berlin Victory Column

{{Short description|Monument in Germany}}
{{Redirect|Siegessäule|the Berlin publication|Siegessäule (magazine)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox monument
| name            = The Victory Column
| native_name     = Siegessäule
| image           = Berliner Siegessäule 2012-04.jpg
| caption         = 
| location        = [[Berlin]], Germany
| mapframe        = yes
| mapframe-marker = monument
| designer        = 
| type            = 
| material        = 
| length          = 
| width           = 
| height          = 67m
| weight          = 
| visitors_num    = 
| visitors_year   = 
| begin           = 1864
| complete        = 1873
| dedicated       = 
| open            = 
| restore         = 
| dismantled      = 
| dedicated_to    = 
|coordinates      = {{coord|52|30|52|N|13|21|0|E|type:landmark_region:DE|display=inline,title}}
| mapframe-zoom   = 14
| website         = 
| extra_label     = 
| extra           = 
}}

[[Image:Berlin Siegessäule 8245.jpg|thumb|[[Victoria (mythology)|Winged Victory]] detail]]
[[File:Reichstag und Siegessäule um 1900.jpg|thumb|Victory Column in its original size and location, on the [[Platz der Republik (Berlin)|Königsplatz]] across from the [[Reichstag building|Reichstag]], in 1900]]
[[File:Polish_flag_1945_Berlin.jpg|thumb|right|Polish flag raised on the top of Berlin Victory Column on May 2, 1945]]
[[File:Tricolore sur le Siegersaule.png|thumb|[[Flag of France|French tricolor]] raised atop the Victory Column statue during the [[Berlin Victory Parade of 1945|1945 Allied Victory Parade]]]]
[[File:Aussicht_von_der_Siegessaeule.jpg|thumb|View from the platform of the Victory Column towards the [[Brandenburg Gate]]]]

The '''Victory Column''' ({{Langx|de|Siegessäule}} {{IPA|de|ˈziːɡəsˌzɔɪ̯lə|pron|audio=De-Siegessäule.ogg}}, from [[:wikt:Sieg|<em lang="de">Sieg</em>]] 'victory' + [[:wikt:Säule|<em lang="de">Säule</em>]] 'column') is a monument in [[Berlin]], Germany. Designed by [[Heinrich Strack]] after 1864 to commemorate the [[Prussia]]n victory over Denmark in the [[Second Schleswig War]], by the time it was inaugurated on 2 September 1873, Prussia had also defeated [[Austrian Empire|Austria]] and its German allies in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] (1866) and [[Second French Empire|France]] in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] (1870&ndash;71), giving the statue a new purpose. Different from the original plans, these later victories in the [[Unification of Germany|unification wars]] inspired the addition of the bronze sculpture of [[Victoria (mythology)|Victoria]], the Roman goddess of victory, {{convert|8.3|m|ft}} high, designed by [[Friedrich Drake]], giving the victory column its current height of 67m.<ref name="ra">{{cite book |last1=Alings |first1=Reinhard |title=Die Berliner Siegessaule: Vom Geschichtsbild zum Bils der Geschichte |date=2000 |publisher=Parthas Verlag GmbH |location=Berlin |isbn=9783932529719 |pages=35–51}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Braun |first1=Matthias |title=Die Siegessaule |date=2000 |publisher=Berlin Edition |location=Berlin |isbn=3814800265 |page=11}}</ref>

Berliners have given the statue the nickname ''Goldelse'', meaning something like "Golden Lizzy", named after an 1866 novel by [[E. Marlitt]] and its [[heroine]].<ref>[http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/berlin-infos/e_bi_bezirk-tiergarten.html Berlin Tourist Information – Tiergarten<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622011739/http://www.berlin-tourist-information.de/english/berlin-infos/e_bi_bezirk-tiergarten.html |date=22 June 2008 }}</ref>
The Victory Column is a major tourist attraction in the city of Berlin. Its viewing platform, for which a ticket is required, offers a view over Berlin.

==History, design, and influences==
===Design===
The base consists of polished red Swedish granite, measuring 18.8 meters square and 7.2 meters high. The base contains four bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the three victories. Measuring 12 meters wide and 2 meters high, they were designed by [[Moritz Schulz]], [[Karl Keil]], [[Alexander Calandrelli]], and [[Albert Wolff (sculptor)|Albert Wolff]].  Upon the base is a round hall with 16 granite columns measuring 4.7 meters high.  Along the hall's circumference is a glass mosaic designed by [[Anton von Werner]]. Four sandstone columns rise above this hall, the first three containing 20 gilded gun barrels each, 12 pounders from the Danish victory, 8 pounders from the Austrian victory, and 4 pounders from the French victory. On top of the fourth sandstone column resides the {{convert|8.52|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall|sp=us}} [[gilded]] bronze victory.<ref name="ra" />

The relief decoration was removed in 1945. It was restored for the 750th anniversary of Berlin in 1987 by the French president at that time, [[François Mitterrand]].<ref name="ra" />{{rp|114–115}}

===Locations===
The Victory Column originally stood in [[Platz der Republik (Berlin)|Königsplatz]] (now Platz der Republik). In 1938/1939, as part of the preparation of the monumental plans to redesign Berlin into [[Germania (city)|Welthauptstadt Germania]], the [[Nazi Germany|Nazis]] relocated the column to its present site at the ''[[Großer Stern]]'' (Great Star). At the same time, the column was augmented by another 6.5 metres, giving it its present height of 66.89 metres. The monument survived [[World War II]] without much damage. Surrounded by a [[Roundabout|street circle]], the column is also accessible to pedestrians through four tunnels, according to plans by [[Albert Speer]]. A spiral staircase leads to a viewing platform under the statue.<ref name=ra/>{{rp|99–107}}

==Historical significance==
During the [[Battle of Berlin]] of 1945, Soviet troops nicknamed the column "the Tall Woman".<ref>{{citation |last=Beevor |first=A |year=2003 |title=Berlin: The Downfall 1945 |publisher=Penguin Books |page=395}}</ref> [[Polish People's Army|Polish Army]] troops, fighting alongside their Soviet allies, hoisted the [[Flag of Poland|Polish flag]] on the column on 2 May 1945 at the end of the Battle in Berlin. This is celebrated yearly as [[Polish National Flag Day]].

During the [[Berlin Victory Parade of 1945]], the [[Flag of France|French tricolour]] was raised atop the column on the statue by French troops.<ref>ECPAD - Troupes françaises défilant à Berlin</ref>

It served as the location for [[Barack Obama]]'s speech in Berlin as a US presidential candidate during his visit to Germany on 24 July 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Whitesides|first=John|date=2008-07-25|title=Obama's foreign trip: Mission accomplished|language=en|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-trip-idUSN2549412020080725}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Borcholte |first=Andreas |title=Sieg der Säule| newspaper=Spiegel |date=20 July 2008}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

In [[Wim Wenders]]' ''[[Wings of Desire]]'' (1987), the column is one of many high places in the city where angels sit and look down.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2008/0718/seite1/0072/index.html |title=Nachrichten |publisher=BerlinOnline.de |year=2012 |access-date=26 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815081858/http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/2008/0718/seite1/0072/index.html |archive-date=15 August 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The golden statue atop the column, cast in 1873 by the [[Aktien-Gesellschaft Gladenbeck]] foundry in Berlin,<ref name=Victoria>{{cite web|title=Biography: Hermann Gladenbeck (1827-1918)|url=http://toboganantiques.com/en/objets/o-gladenbeck-the-five-senses/|website=toboganantiques.com|access-date=18 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618100836/http://toboganantiques.com/en/objets/o-gladenbeck-the-five-senses/|archive-date=18 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=ISSUU>{{cite web|title=Oscar Gladenbeck (1850-1921)|url=http://issuu.com/tobogan.antiques/docs/furniture/262|website=ISSUU.com|date=6 April 2013 |access-date=18 June 2015}}</ref> was featured in the music video to [[U2]]'s 1993 "[[Stay (Faraway, So Close!)]]", an homage to <em>Wings of Desire</em>.

During the years of the techno [[Love Parade]], the column was a meeting point where large numbers of people danced together.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.berlin-life.com/berlin/love-parade |title=Berlin Life: 'The Death of Dance?' A history of the Berlin Love Parade |publisher=Berlin-Life.com |year=2007 |access-date=21 July 2020 }}</ref>

The Berlin queer monthly magazine ''[[Siegessäule (magazine)|Siegessäule]]'', founded 1984 as a gay publication,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/schwul-lesbisches-magazin-in-berlin-die-siegessaeule-wird-30/10983408.html|title = Die "Siegessäule" wird 30| newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online | date=15 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>TBS-Monatsinfo (Treff Berliner Schwulengruppen) (10 February 1984). "Gemeinsames". Record of TBS: Top 12 – via Archiv [[Schwules Museum|Gay Museum Berlin]].</ref> was named after the monument. The [[Berlin Pride]] ([[Christopher Street Day|CSD parade]]) usually includes the column on its route for the symbolism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://csd-berlin.de/demo-route/|title=Demo &#124; Route 2019}}</ref>

The monument is one of the many landmarks visited in the "Berlin Byways" course in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' (since 2021), and later ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (since 2022).<ref>{{Citation|title=Mario Kart Tour - Berlin Byways
| date=9 February 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jBHByzUbvU?t=11|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{Structurae|id=20011047|title=Siegessäule}}

{{Public art in Berlin}}
{{Visitor attractions in Berlin}}
{{Sculptures of Nike}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berlin Victory Column}}
[[Category:1873 sculptures]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Mitte]]
[[Category:Monumental columns in Germany]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Berlin]]
[[Category:Terminating vistas in Germany]]
[[Category:Victory monuments]]
[[Category:Tiergarten (park)]]
[[Category:Sculptures of Victoria (mythology)]]
[[Category:1873 establishments in Germany]]