Viktoriapark

The Victoria Park is a park of 12.8 hectares of land on Cross Mountain, the highest natural elevation of the center of Berlin. It is located in the district of Kreuzberg in the district of Friedrichshain- Kreuzberg.

History

The history of the Viktoria park began in 1821 with the inauguration of the National Monument to the victories in the Napoleonic Wars ( 1813-1815 ) against Napoleon Bonaparte. It was designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel ( 1781-1841 ). The monument is shaped like the tower of a gothic cathedral on a stepped octagonal base. It stands on the highest point of a hill, which was referred to at the time as Tempelhof Mountain Round or vineyard. The cross on the spire was now the mountain and later the County 's name. Already Schinkel had planned to make the then sandy, largely barren surroundings of the monument appropriate. This was, however, only about 70 years later. Between 1888 and 1894 a park was built according to the plans of the city garden director Hermann powerful. In the years 1913-1916 the garden director Albert Brodersen left the plant in a westerly direction to significantly expand. During World War II the Victoria Park suffered significant damage. After they were finally resolved, the park was the first park in Berlin in 1980 completely protected monument.

Park and Waterfall

Cross Mountain reaches a height of 66 meters above mean sea level ( MSL ). It marks at this point the transition from the Berlin glacial valley to the south of it geological plateau of Teltow. At its northern slope of a park with the features a mountain landscape was created below the monument. The terrain is steep and therefore required a dense network of paths. Other key design elements in this part of the park are the rocky Wolfschlucht with smaller water bodies and especially the large, man-made waterfall as part of a line of sight from the Großbeerenstraße to the monument on the top of Cross Mountain. From there, a view down over the inner city area is possible. The subsequent enlargement of the park to the west involved a rather gentle, hilly terrain. It was designed as a landscape park with sprawling lawns. In this area there is now also an extensive children's playground, an animal enclosure, a sports field and at the park entrance Dudenstraße a large beer garden.

The waterfall is next to the National Monument, the most famous attraction of Victoria Park. 1891 had approved the construction of the City Council. After a nature similar investment in granite and limestone with partial trees originated. At the foot of the waterfall a irregular shaped pond was created, on the banks of the rare catch by Ernst Herter is since 1896 the bronze sculpture; their motive: a mermaid is caught in a fisherman's net. As models for the design of Kreuzberg waterfall various similar landscape structures are suspected in the Giant Mountains, which at the time was a favorite destination of wealthy Berlin. The relevant website of the Berlin city government called in this context the WATERFALL ( Wodospad Kamienczyk ) in the Polish part of the Giant Mountains. A known- documented model does not exist, however.

To operate the waterfall, the water must be pumped up to the Kreuzberg. The difference in height is 24 meters and it can be moved 13,000 liters per minute. On October 14, 1893, the system was first tested publicly in a formal ceremony.

  • Gallery

Meadow and pond at the base of the falls

The rare catch, bronze sculpture by Ernst Herter

People bustle on the Kreuzberg in Berlin, painting by Otto Piltz, 1886

View from Kreuzberg towards Großbeerenstraße (North)

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