Bismarck Tower in Bad Kissingen: renovation successfully completed!

Bismarck Tower in Bad Kissingen: renovation successfully completed!

The renovation work on the historic Bismarck Tower in Bad Kissingen is in full swing. The first construction phase was recently successfully completed after part of the surrounding wall collapsed in January. The city reacted immediately and began repairing the approximately 20 square meter damage in order to secure the popular excursion destination. This led to a surprising discovery: an unknown cavity was found under the tower. Unfortunately, it turned out that the ceiling of the cavity was not load-bearing, so it had to be filled with concrete. The collapsed part of the wall was able to be rebuilt and the total cost for this first section is around 90,000 euros. This is what the Bad Kissingen municipal website reported.

Mayor Dr. Dirk Vogel confirmed the importance of financial resources for the ongoing renovation measures. They are undoubtedly necessary because the entirety of the measures is not yet complete. A further look at the surrounding wall shows that there is further damage in the form of cracked joints and loose bricks. For traffic safety reasons, this area is currently cordoned off, and the estimated cost of repairing the part of the wall that has not yet been worked on is around 250,000 euros. This issue will be addressed in the upcoming budget negotiations.

On the history of the Bismarck Tower

The Bismarck Tower has a long and interesting history, dating back to 1906. The construction was initiated by a call from the student body in Hamburg after the death of Otto von Bismarck, the first German Chancellor, in 1898. On January 29, 1906, 1,000 marks were collected to purchase a property on Haug'schen Windmühlenberg, which laid the foundation stone for the tower. The construction pit was dug on May 24, 1906, and the keystone was placed on October 18, 1906. The construction was financed by donations from citizens and associations, and the ceremonial consecration of the tower took place on March 22, 1907.

Over the years, the Bismarck Tower suffered from progressive decay, particularly after the First World War. Numerous attempts at renovation, such as those around 1933, were unable to significantly stop the decline. At the beginning of the 1970s, a door that had been broken open several times was finally walled up, and in 2004 the Burg and Surroundings Local History Association was formed with the aim of making the tower accessible again. On September 20, 2005, the association acquired the tower from the city of Burg as part of a ground lease agreement. The extensive renovation work, which began in September 2006, culminated in a ceremonial reopening on June 17, 2007, just in time for the building's 100th anniversary. Since then, the tower can be visited on special occasions, such as Open Museum Day.

The work on the Bismarck Tower is not only a material challenge, but also a cultural stewardship of a piece of history that is very important to the people of Bad Kissingen and the surrounding area. And no matter how much effort it takes to bring this historic site back into the best possible shape, there is definitely some good work going on here.