Emma The Schwerbelastungskörper “heavy load-exerting body” Berlin, a remnant of National Socialist urban planning
The Schwerbelastungskörper (German: “heavy load-exerting body“) is a large concrete cylinder located at the intersection of Dudenstraße, General-Pape-Straße, and Loewenhardtdamm in Berlin.
Why was this built?
Adolf Hitler’s chief architect Albert Speer built this structure in order to determine the feasibility of constructing large buildings on the area’s marshy, sandy ground. Hitler wanted to remake the city of Berlin into Germania. One component of this plan was to create a structure three times as large as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Hitler was committed to redesigning Berlin in a way that would create and represent an eternal marking of Hitler’s legacy and power. Hitler was at the forefront of the decision-making when it came to what was being built, where something was being built, and determining whether or not the structure properly exemplified the ideals of National Socialist power. An example of one of the buildings which was constructed is the Olympic Stadium, which was originally designed for the 1936 Olympics.
Speer needed to test the ground for these large scale plans so the Schwerbelastungskörper was built.
Technical details
The Schwerbelastungskörper was built by Dyckerhoff & Widmann AG in 1941, using French prisoners of war, at a cost of 400,000 Reichsmark and consists of a foundation with a diameter of 11 m (36 ft) that reaches 18.2 m (60 ft) into the ground and contains rooms which once housed instruments to measure ground subsidence caused by the weight of the cylinder, which was estimated as equivalent to the load calculated for one pillar of the intended arch.
The thinking behind the structure is that if it were to sink less than 6 cm (2.4 in), the soil would be deemed sound enough for further construction without additional stabilisation. An analysis of the meticulous measurements only took place in 1948, revealing that the cylinder had sunk some 19 cm (7.5 in) after two and a half years.
Click here or the image below for more World War II Berlin
After World War II
After the end of World War II, , the Schwerbelastungskörper remained an immovable 12,650 tonne cylinder. The Schwerbelastungskörper was used under the auspices of Technische Universität Berlin as part of a project to compile data about the city’s geologic foundation up until 1977.
Since 1995 the structure has been protected as a historical monument representing the “only tangible relic of National Socialist urban planning”.
Inside
Safety
Due to being preserved in its original condition, the structure has uneven surfaces and protruding structural elements at all times. We recommend wearing sturdy footwear.
The observation tower can be reached via stairs.
Where
General-Pape-Straße 34A, 12101 Berlin
Site Information
Open from 1st April to 31st October 2025
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
from 1 pm to 6 pm
Admission is free.
Public transport
S 1 Julius-Leber-Brücke, bus M43 (stop Kolonnenbrücke)
or 12 minutes walk from Südkreuz station (rear exit / east side)
Click here or the image below for everything we know about Berlin
