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Water tower in Rathenow: A dilapidated legacy is looking for a new future!
Rathenow's water tower at the train station is falling into disrepair under new ownership. City administration demands preservation and appropriate use.
Water tower in Rathenow: A dilapidated legacy is looking for a new future!
In Rathenow, a small town with a lot of history, the historic water tower at the train station looks anything but inviting. The tower, which was once built to supply water to the railway and is now over 100 years old, has stood empty for decades and shows more than a hint of dilapidation. The monument currently belongs to a man from Rathenow's catering industry, who has so far shown no ambition to change the condition of the tower. Details about his plans remain secret for the time being. As maz-online.de reports, there has been no contact between the city administration and the new owner.
The water tower is part of the city's heritage and is particularly protected from changes according to the Monument Protection Act. The city's spokeswoman, Anne Kießling, makes no secret of her desire to preserve the building as it is of historical importance. Rathenow Mayor Jörg Zietemann also brings into play the importance of train stations as flagships of the cities and calls for greater commitment from Deutsche Bahn, which should get going in this area.
Renovation needs and investments
Despite the unfortunate condition of the water tower, a lot has happened in Rathenow in recent years. The city has invested heavily in the area around the station: in 2005 and 2006, an impressive 1.2 million euros were invested in the renovation of the station forecourt. The parking lot on the south side was also upgraded with 300,000 euros in 2009, and the access road to Friedrich-Ebert-Ring also received an investment of 700,000 euros - all in the hope of making the region attractive.
Deutsche Bahn also plans to renovate the platforms and the passenger tunnel by 2027 in order to transform the station into a sustainable location. But while these projects move forward, the water tower sits unused in the shadow of these developments.
Creative usage concepts
There have been many ideas for using the water tower in the past. Numerous proposals were put forward, from a tourist information center to a restaurant to apartments. But implementation often failed due to the challenges associated with monument protection. This is clearly evident in the current situation, where the area around the water tower is sealed off by a construction fence.
The urban development features of Rathenow, such as the remains of the medieval city wall or the impressive St. Marien-Andreas Church, are further aspects of the city's cultural heritage that are anchored in comprehensive monument protection. These buildings are part of the long list of architectural monuments in Rathenow, as can be found on wikipedia.de.
It remains to be seen whether the historic water tower will soon shine in new splendor or continue to deteriorate. Waiting too quietly could not only have a negative impact on the city's cultural value, but also on the engagement that Rathenow is able to make in the broader region. The issue is definitely not off the table, as many citizens and city representatives have not given up hope for a positive turnaround.