Quistorp Tower

The tower on the Arkona hill was built in the early 20th century, but was destroyed during World War II. The ruins are open to visitors.

The Quistorp Tower was erected on Arkony Hill in 1900-1904. The building was funded by Martin Quistorp and was built in tribute to his father, Johannes. Johannes Quistorp was an entrepreneur from Szczecin, philanthropist and founder of many local investments. It was he who founded the Bethanien care facility, handed over the land for Quistorp Park (today Kasprowicz Park), established funds for widows and orphans, and gave the city a square for the construction of a gymnasium at Greater Poland Street.

The tower was designed by Franz Schwechten. The foundations of the building were made of stone blocks, a cross vault was used inside the building, and an observation deck was created instead of the roof, decorated with sculptures by Ludwig Manzl. The upper part of the tower had the shape of a cylinder, the whole was finished with battlement. The building was 45 meters high and consisted of nine floors. There was a summer cafe in the tower, and the areas around the building - paths and vegetation - were also prepared.

Certainly, the building was still intact in 1942 - it is difficult to determine the exact date of its demolition. One of the theories assumes that the tower was destroyed in 1944 during Allied air raids, the other one says that the building was blown up in 1945 by the Germans themselves, who wanted to destroy a convenient vantage point by retreating. To this day, the tower is a ruin. Currently, we can find fragments of the lower terrace and wide stone stairs. There is also a 30-meter underground corridor, but the entrance to it has been filled in.

From time to time, the idea of rebuilding the Quistorp Tower comes back, but this investment is unlikely to happen. The Arkoński forest is certainly an interesting recreational area to this day, and the ruins of the tower are eagerly visited by residents of Szczecin and tourists.

The ruins of the tower were entered on the provincial list of monuments in June 2004.