Gocław (Bismarck) Tower

Completed in 1921, the 25 m high tower is one of the 17 towers dedicated to Otto von Bismarck still remaining in Poland. The tower is currently undergoing renovation works. Once they are completed, it will have a restaurant and a viewing terrace. The area around the tower is already being used as a venue for cultural events.

The Gocławska Tower, formerly known as the Bismarck Tower, was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The cornerstone for the construction was laid in 1913, its grand opening was planned for 1915, but due to the ongoing World War I, it was opened only on August 1, 1921.

Initially, several locations were considered for the construction of the tower - Grodzka Island, Napoleon's Hill and Chrobry Embankments were taken into account. Ultimately, it was decided to go to the Green Hill in the Gocław estate. The tower in Szczecin is one of the many built structures dedicated to Bismarck. Over 200 such buildings have been built around the world, and about 40 "Bismarck towers" have been built in Poland alone. Currently, we can find 17 more in our country.

The tower is 25 meters high, it was made of concrete, the investment cost was PLN 200,000. brands and it was one of the most expensive buildings at the time. The object, thanks to its location on a hill, served as an observation tower. After the decision to build the tower was made, a competition for the design was announced, which received 131 works, and the architect's proposal, Wilhelm Kreis, was finally selected. The tower was built on a circular plan, the whole thing is covered with a dome, in the upper part there is a viewing gallery. There is a triangular decorative element above the entrance. Pod szczytem umieszczono herb Bismarcka. Imperial eagles were sitting on the pillars of the tower, but unfortunately they did not survive to the present day - they were knocked down by Soviet soldiers, their remains can be found near the tower. Inside, there is a seven-meter-long corridor with Doric columns that led into the hall. There was a bust of Otto von Bismarck, on the walls there was a quotation from the chancellor's speech in 1870.

Until the 1970s, the interior of the towers was open to the public, in the 1980s a radio transmitting mast was installed on its top, an underground corridor was filled in and metal doors were welded. In 2001, the facility was sold for PLN 350,000. PLN, was to be renovated and transformed into a tourist center. Nothing like that happened, however, in 2010 the city lost the process of taking back the monument. From time to time, the Bismarck tower is put up for sale via online auction portals, the last time such an announcement appeared at the beginning of 2015, the starting price was less than 130,000. euro.

The Gocławska Tower was entered on the provincial list of monuments in May 1994.