Siegessäule in Berlin

If you walk along Straße des 17. Juni from the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin, you’ll find yourself right in the middle of the Tiergarten. After about a 20-minute walk, you’ll come to the Großer Stern, a roundabout. Here, standing in the centre, is the Victory Column, crowned by the Berlin Angel of Peace, also known in the capital as the ‘Goldelse ’.

Everything you need to know about the Victory Column in Berlin, in easy-to-understand language and in sign language.

History of the Victory Column

The Victory Column was originally erected between 1864 and 1873 according to plans by Heinrich Strack on Königsplatz in front of the Reichstag (now Platz der Republik). It was built to commemorate Prussia’s victory in the German-Danish War of 1864. Within a few years, two further victorious wars were added: the German War of 1866 against Austria and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. The three segments of the column were originally intended to commemorate these three victories – now known as the Wars of Unification. The bronze reliefs and mosaic panels in the colonnade allow you to trace the path leading to the founding of the German Empire.

During the Nazi era, a fourth drum was added to the Victory Column, bringing its total height to 67 metres today. In 1938–39, as part of the planned transformation of Berlin into the‘Reich Capital Germania’, the monument was moved some 1.6 km westwards – to the Großer Stern in the heart of the Tiergarten, where it still stands today. Having survived the war largely unscathed, the Victory Column was restored in the mid-1980s and is now a listed monument.

Incidentally, Barack Obama gave a speech at the foot of the Victory Column – that was in 2008, before he was elected President of the United States.

Berlin’s ‘Goldelse’

The bronze sculpture, 8.3 metres high and weighing 35 tonnes, depicts Victoria wearing a laurel wreath, an eagle-adorned helmet and bearing a standard featuring the Iron Cross. Victoria is the goddess of victory from Roman mythology and the equivalent of the Greek Nike. Her eagle helmet also makes Victoria appear as Borussia, the personification of Prussia. The gilded bronze sculpture of Victoria, now reinterpreted as Berlin’s Angel of Peace , was created by Friedrich DrakD

Panoramic view over Berlin

You can reach the viewing platform on top of the Victory Column via a spiral staircase with 285 steps. You’ll need a bit of courage – and a fair bit of stamina – to make your way up the stairs, which taper inwards as they rise.

From the viewing platform, at a height of around 51 metres, you’ll enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the vast, green Tiergarten and across the whole of Berlin. Here, you can experience the heights with all your senses: Berlin lies at your feet and the wind blows through your hair.

Visitor information

• Not wheelchair accessible: no lift, no toilet
• Cash only: €4.50 per person, concessions €3.50

Places of interest near the Victory Column:

• Brandenburg Gate
• Tiergarten
• Potsdamer Platz
• Reichstag

Opening hours