Fernsehturm Stuttgart
The Fernsehturm Stuttgart (TV Tower Stuttgart) is the world's first TV tower built from concrete (and prototype for many towers of that kind all over the world).
It is located on the so-called "Hoher Bopser" hill in the southern Stuttgart district of Degerloch. After a construction period of 20 months it was placed in service February 5, 1956, by Süddeutscher Rundfunk (today: Südwestrundfunk – SWR). The tower broadcasts several public FM radio stations and transmitted the ARD TV network's analogue service until 2006. The digital television services have moved to nearby Fernmeldeturm Stuttgart, which also broadcasts private FM radio stations in the area. Although controversial at first, it quickly became a well known landmark of Stuttgart and tourist attraction. From the two observation decks there is a view of Stuttgart, from the forests and vineyards in and around Stuttgart to the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest.
- Engineer: Professor Dr. Ing. Fritz Leonhardt
- Altitude: Foot of tower 483 m (1,585 ft) above sea level
- Overall height to the antenna point: 216.8 m (711 ft)
- Height of upper observation deck: 153.5 m (504 ft)
- Height of lower observation deck: 150 m (490 ft)
- Diameter of foundation: 27 m (89 ft)
- Total weight of tower: approximately 3000 tons
- Weight of foundation: approximately 1500 tons
- Speed of elevators: 4 m per second
- Panorama Café on a platform of the tower basket
- Maximum diameter of tower basket: 15 m (49 ft)
The tower can be reached by the Stuttgart public transport system (see Stuttgart external links) and is open for visitors from 9:00 until 23:00.
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[edit] History
- 10 January 1954: Start of construction
- 5 February 1956: Inauguration
- October 1965 until December 1965: Extension of antenna, hence today the tower is 216.8 meters tall.
[edit] Air traffic warning lights
The tower carries beside the conventional red air traffic warning lights three rotating Xenon-lamps similar to those used on lighthouses just above the observation deck.
[edit] Other Transmission Towers in Stuttgart (not accessible to public)
- Fernmeldeturm Frauenkopf (height: 192.4 m)
- Vodafone-Funkturm Stuttgart-Vaihingen (height: 98.6 m)
- Funkturm Stuttgart (height: 93 m)
- Stuttgart-Möhringen directional radio tower (height: 93 m)
[edit] Similar towers
- Rheinturm in Düsseldorf
- Sentech Tower in Johannesburg
- Donauturm in Vienna
- CN Tower in Toronto
- Macau Tower in Macau
- Sky Tower in Auckland City
- Fernsehturm Berlin in Berlin
[edit] Literature
- Fernsehturm Stuttgart. Fernsehturm-Betriebs-GmbH, Stuttgart 1991
- Walther Drechsel: Turmbauwerke. Wiesbaden, Berlin, 1967
- Jörg Schlaich, Matthias Schüller: Ingenieurbauführer Baden-Württemberg. Bauwerk Verlag, Berlin 1999; pp. 486-488.
