Berlin’s Victory Column stands at the center of the Großer Stern roundabout, moved here from its original location near the Reichstag. Its bronze figure crowns a monument whose changing height and setting connect Prussian military victories to later political reorganization of the capital.
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Traffic circles the column at the Großer Stern, but the monument did not begin in this location. Heinrich Strack designed it for Königsplatz, in front of the Reichstag, where it was erected between 1864 and 1873. It first commemorated Prussia’s victory in the war with Denmark; later, victories over Austria and France were added to its meaning.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Heinrich Strack designed the column.
- It was originally erected between 1864 and 1873 near the Reichstag.
- It was moved to the Großer Stern in 1938–39.
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