In front of you rises the Fernsehturm, Berlin's TV Tower, which at 368 metres is the tallest structure in Germany. We end the route here with a mystery of light that anyone can check on a sunny day.

1A socialist showcase

East Germany built it between 1965 and 1969 to broadcast television, but also to show the world, and West Berlin, the technical prowess of socialism. Walter Ulbricht inaugurated it on 3 October 1969, on the eve of the state's twentieth anniversary. Its sphere, 32 metres across, was meant to evoke the Sputnik satellites of the space race.

2The Pope's revenge

An unforeseen problem soon appeared. When the sun hits the sphere, its steel panels reflect a shining cross. In an officially atheist state, which had also demolished several war-damaged churches, Berliners quickly nicknamed the phenomenon Rache des Papstes, “the Pope's revenge”. They also ironically called the tower “St. Walter”, after Ulbricht.

It was said the regime tried to erase the cross with paint or chemicals; Reagan repeated the story in his 1987 speech. There's no evidence it was ever seriously attempted.

The reflection, on the other hand, is real, and it's still there: East Germany's most secular symbol has been drawing a cross over the city for more than half a century.

3What to look for

  • The cross of light on the sphere, best seen in midday or afternoon sun.
  • The Marienkirche at its feet: two opposing symbols, side by side.
  • The folds of the building at the base, typical of East German architecture.
The TV Tower's sphere beside the cathedral's golden cross
Two opposing symbols in the same sky.

Documented

The tower was built between 1965 and 1969, stands 368 metres tall, and its sphere reflects a shining cross in the sunlight.

Oral tradition

The regime's supposed attempts to erase the cross are stories without documentation.

Sources and credits

Berliner Fernsehturm, official history (tv-turm.de); Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, entry for the Fernsehturm; Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, speech at the Brandenburg Gate (12 June 1987).

Photos:

  • Berlin's TV Tower with the Marienkirche at its foot: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • The TV Tower's sphere beside the cathedral's golden cross: Tobi85, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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