Bismarckturm geöffnet

Every first Sunday of the month, the Förderverein Bismarckturm e.V. opens the monument above the heights of Altenkirchen and invites you to enjoy a slightly different view of the town.

The Bismarck Tower stands on the Dorn, a hill with a good view of the district town of Altenkirchen. It was built from local rock on the initiative of local citizens.

The foundation stone was laid on April 1, 1914, but the First World War prevented the planned inauguration on April 1, 1915 (the 100th anniversary of Bismarck's birth). It was not until 1922 that the building was completed and officially inaugurated on May 21, 1922. The town of Altenkirchen took over the tower after the Second World War. The monument was restored in 2009/2010 and has been open to visitors ever since.

Members of the association will be on hand to provide information about the tower and the surrounding area.

Opening hours: 14:00 to 16:00

You can also make an appointment to visit outside these times. Contact persons for visiting the Bismarck Tower are all members of the board of the Förderverein Bismarckturm e.V. Contact e-mail: info@bismarckturm-ak.de

The history
A landmark is a typical feature or recognisable symbol. It characterises places and cities. These primarily include striking buildings. These buildings, such as the Bismarck Tower, stand in a special place. The Bismarck Tower, for example, looks down on the city from its height, the Dorn.
Height 14 metres
Cost 14,000 marks
Foundation stone laid 1 April 1914 (Bismarck's 99th birthday)
Inauguration 21 May 1922
Foundation of a Bismarck Tower Association
In 1910, a committee of prominent citizens of the city made the following appeal to the public:
‘For years, the idea of erecting a monument here to the greatest German man of modern times, the forger of German imperial unity, the iron chancellor, has been alive in circles of local Bismarck admirers. This idea took tangible form on the occasion of a large national commemoration of 18 January 1910, which was organised in beautiful unanimity by the following ten associations: Altdeutscher Verband, Flottenverein, Freiwillige Feuerwehr, Kriegerverein, Marineverein, Männer-Gesangverein, Musikverein, Ostmarkenverein, Schützengesellschaft, Turnverein. The founding of a Bismarck Tower Association (B.T.V.) was decided upon with great enthusiasm and considerable annual subscriptions were soon subscribed. The plan was to build a Bismarck Tower on the Dorn, made of local rock, modest, in keeping with the means of the citizens of Altenkirchen and the surrounding Area and vet in honour of the man it honours.