Zoo flak tower

The Tiergarten Flak Tower, colloquially also known as the Zoo Tower, was a massive defensive structure in Berlin that existed from 1941 to 1947. Built as the first of its kind, it served primarily to protect the government district from Allied air raids, but it also functioned as one of the largest high-rise bunkers in the city. The complex consisted of two connected concrete towers: the large G-Tower for the artillery and the smaller L-Tower, which housed radar and sensor equipment. Both buildings were linked by a tunnel carrying telephone lines, water, and power connections. Despite its height of 39 meters, the G-Tower had only six upper floors above the basement level, with walls 2.4 meters thick and a roof 1.5 meters thick. This sturdy reinforced-concrete construction made the tower one of the most resilient structures in Berlin, one that even withstood heavy Soviet artillery shells.

During World War II, the tower played a central role in the city's defense. Besides housing troops and civilians, it contained an 85-bed hospital where wounded soldiers were treated. The complex is also well known as a safe repository for valuable cultural treasures. Stored here under climate-controlled conditions were treasures from fourteen Berlin museums, including the bust of Nefertiti, the dismantled Pergamon Altar table, and the Kaiser Wilhelm coin collection. During the Battle of Berlin in 1945, the tower served as a fortress from which heavy anti-aircraft guns fought off Soviet tank attacks on the government district and the Reichstag. Thousands of civilians sought shelter there, leading to extreme overcrowding and difficult living conditions, until the garrison finally surrendered to allow surrounding units to break through.

After the war ended, the tower was looted by Soviet troops before being blown up by the British Army in 1947. Destroying the large G-Tower was a technical challenge: the first attempts at demolition failed, and it succeeded only after months of preparation involving hundreds of drilled holes and tons of dynamite. Today, the hippo enclosure of the Berlin Zoo marks the site of the former G-Tower, while the Bird Island occupies the position of the L-Tower.