Schwerbelastungskörper

• 
• 
• 

The 12,000-metric-ton concrete cylinder on General-Pape-Straße stands as a testament to Berlin’s Nazi urban planning for the "World Capital Germania."

The Schwerbelastungskörper ("heavy load-exerting body") is a cylindrical concrete block with a diameter of 21 meters and a height of 32 meters. However, about 18 meters of it are underground. It was built during the Nazi regime by, among others, French forced laborers.

Information center in Tempelhof

The structure was intended to test the load-bearing capacity of the ground on which the monumental triumphal arch of the "World Capital Germania" was to be erected. As such, the heavy-load test structure stands as a symbol of the megalomaniacal National Socialist urban planning and was accordingly designed as an educational site. Pillars provide visitors with information about the site's history, and an observation tower allows them to grasp the scale of the original plans.

Address, Opening Hours and Contact Information

• Address:
  General-Pape-Straße 34A
  12101 Berlin
  City map
• Phone: [phone]
• Internet: www.schwerbelastungskoerper.de (in German)
• Opening Hours: April to October: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Closed from November to March.
• Guided Tours: Guided tours in German take place during the season from April through October on the first Sunday of every month at 3 p.m. They are free of charge and without prior registration.
• Admission Fee:
  Free