Description Berlin Radio Tower was built from 1924 to 1926 on the same site as Berlin-Witzleben Auxiliary Transmission Mast ( https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=47060 ), which was used as crane for construction work.
Berlin Radio Tower was designed as observation tower and as support of a T-type transmission antenna for mediumwave broadcasting on 520.8 kHz. The other end of the antenna was fixed on Berlin-Witzleben Transmission Mast, https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=47058.
The tower was erected on insulators, which still exist, but which were never in use as the tower was grounded in order not to endanger visitors by high voltages by the elevator shaft and water supply lines of the restaurant. However, it is the only tower open for the public, which stands on insulators.
On September 25th, 1925 the transmitter went in service and on September 3rd, 1926, its restaurant and observation deck opened.
In the first years Berlin Radio Tower was equipped with a billboard with 4000 light bulbs above the restaurant, which allowed showing static and dynamic textes.
In 1929 the first experimental TV transmissions started and on March 22nd, 1935 the first regular TV service named Fernsehsender „Paul Nipkow“ started.
On August 19th, 1935 a catastrophic fire in the fair trade halls near Berlin Radio Tower occurred, which destroyed the TV transmitter and even resulted in a fire in the restaurant of the tower, which resulted in numerous damages of its structure. As the fire took place after closure of the fair trade for the public only 3 people were killed.
After the fire, the tower was repaired and T-type transmission antenna including its second support Berlin-Witzleben Transmission Mast, https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=47058, were dismantled. As replacement a long-wire antenna was spun between the pinnacle of Berlin Radio Tower and the roof of the newly erected transmission building. Also the TV transmitter was restored, but moved however in 1938 to the Summit House.
In World War II Berlin Radio Tower served as military warning and observation post.
In 1945 at the battle of Berlin, it was hit by a grenade, which destroyed one of its legs, so it
stood there only on 3 legs at the end of World War II.
Soon after end of World War II this damage was repaired with 7.2 tons steel and 800 kilogramms screws. In 1948 a radio relay link to Bocksberg in Lower Saxony was realized by the British occupants, in 1950 its restaurant opened again and in 1951 TV broadcasting restarted. For this purpose a new antenna was installed, by which the height of Berlin Radio Tower grew from 138 metres to 150 metres. In 1963 these transmissions moved as the later started FM-radio transmissions to the taller Scholzplatz broadcasting mast, https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1790.
From 1966 to 1973, Berlin Radio Tower was the last time used for public broadcasting by transmitting SFB4 on 98.2 MHz. After 1973 it was only used as relay transmitter for non public land mobile services.
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