Berlin Victory Column
The Victory Column is a monument in Berlin, Germany. Designed by Heinrich Strack after 1864 to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, by the time it was inaugurated on 2 September 1873, Prussia had also defeated Austria and its German allies in the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and France in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), giving the statue a new purpose. Different from the original plans, these later victories in the so-called unification wars inspired the addition of the bronze sculpture of Victoria, 8.3 metres (27 ft) high and weighing 35 tonnes, designed by Friedrich Drake. Berliners have given the statue the nickname "Goldelse", meaning something like "Golden Lizzy".
The Victory Column is a major tourist attraction in the city of Berlin. Its viewing platform, for which a ticket is required, offers a view over Berlin.
The Victory Column originally stood in Königsplatz (now Platz der Republik), at the end of the Siegesallee (Victory Avenue). In 1939, as part of the preparation of the monumental plans to redesign Berlin into Welthauptstadt Germania, the Nazis relocated the column to its present site at the Großer Stern (Great Star), a large intersection on the city axis that leads from the former Berliner Stadtschloss (Berlin City Palace) through the Brandenburg Gate to the western parts of the city. At the same time, the column was augmented by another 6.5 metres, giving it its present height of 67 metres. The monument survived World War II without much damage. The relocation of the monument probably saved it from destruction, as its old site – in front of the Reichstag, at exactly 1,500 metres (one Roman mile) from the proposed new north-south triumphal way of the Nazis in line with the Imperial Victory Avenue in the Tiergarten – was destroyed by American air raids in 1945.
Surrounded by a street circle, the column is also accessible to pedestrians through four tunnels, built in 1941 to plans by Albert Speer who likewise increased the width of the road between it and the Brandenburg Gate and designed the new Germania which was scheduled for construction after the victory obtained in the war. Via a steep spiral staircase of 282 steps, the physically fit may, for a fee, climb almost to the top of the column, to just under the statue and take in the views over the Tiergarten including the Soviet War Memorial, 1946, in line with the Nazi proposed north-south triumphal way by Speer and Adolf Hitler.
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Victory_Column)
Tasks:
On the square base of the victory column there are four bronze reliefs depicting the three wars of unification and the victorious entry of troops into Berlin in 1871. You should take a close look at these reliefs and identify some specific objects or information. Important here are also the cardinal points (north, south, east and west), in which the reliefs are pointing.
1.) In which direction does the relief on which the quadriga can be seen point?
2.) In which direction does the relief on which a dog can be seen point?
3.) On one of the reliefs the "distance to Königgrätz" is indicated. Which unit of measurement (as written there and without numbers!) can be read here?
4.) One relief provides information about the "Allgemeine Bettage”. Add all three annual figures which can be seen on this relief.
5.) Take a photo at exactly the coordinates given, where you or your GPS can be seen along with the victory column. Upload this photo along with your log.
Logging terms:
From the cardinal points and information determined in tasks 1-4, you can now create an email address according to the following pattern: Solution1Solution2Solution3Solution4@gmail.com. A possible email address could look like this: WestEastMetres5432@gmail.com. Write the name of your GC account in the subject line. If your values are correct, you will receive an automatic confirmation and log release. If your email is returned as undeliverable, something was wrong with your answers.
Logs without photos will be deleted without comment.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.