Flak Towers: The Continuing Legacy of the Luftwaffe

By Queuebot in Architecture, Weapons & War on Aug 16, 2009 at 1:26 am

In 1940, Hitler, incensed by the successful bombing of Berlin by the RAF. ordered the construction of three enormous flak towers to protect the city. Soon afterwards, this idea quickly spread around Germany. 

Considered invulnerable at the time – and they pretty much were – many of these colossal structures still stand today, albeit serving much more "civilian" purposes:

The L Tower in Vienna is now, well, you take a guess. If your German is any good then its current name – Haus des Meeres is a complete giveaway. If not, then you may be surprised to discover that it is an aquarium. Instead of weapons of war and people huddling from falling bombs it now houses over three and a half thousand animals, with huge fish tanks containing sharks, turtles and piranhas (in different tanks one assumes). There is even a new tropical house with free flying birds and free-running monkeys.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by taliesyn30.


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  1. Foreigner1
    Aug 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am

    Ach ja, usere Flacktürme… Wie schön. ;-)

    I’d say don’t demolish them- In about 40 years historians will say that these remaining towers are part of the evolution of defensive structures all through history- Perhaps even the pinnacle of static defensive structures like the world will never see afterwards.

  2. anonymoussss
    Aug 16th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    oh, by the way they were introducing it I thought it was going to turn out to be a German Moulin Rouge :S

    haha Aquarium… now that’s more random :P


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