Berlin Soil Load Testing Facility

Concrete Megalomania – This concrete cylinder testifies to Nazi architect Albert Speer’s plans to radically remake Berlin as a monumental world capital called “Germania.” To test the feasibility of building a massive triumphal arch on the sandy ground here, Speer had the Schwerbelastungskörper, or “heavy loadbearing body,” set up to simulate the weight of the gigantic structure.

The cylinder weighs nearly 13,000 metric tons, is 14 meters high, and reaches a depth of 18 meters. By 1948 it was clear that the cylinder had sunk, and thus that the ground could not bear the load. Due to its proximity to nearby apartment buildings, it could not be demolished with explosives.

It was used for geological studies by the German Society for Soil Mechanics until 1977. Since 2009 it has been open to the public.
TIPS:

• Open from April 1 to October 31
• Entrance, stairs to the platform, and tours are free.
• The Schwerbelastungskörper is part of the Geschichtsparcours Papestraße.