Schwerin TV tower loses height: cathedral is once again the tallest building!

Schwerin TV tower loses height: cathedral is once again the tallest building!

On Thursday morning, the Schwerin telecommunications tower, a striking landmark in the city, was shortened by an impressive 9.68 meters. This measure took place between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and proceeded as follows Northern Courier reported, smoothly. The dismantling of the outdated technology in the tower top was carried out professionally using a helicopter, and the decision to start early was made due to the favorable weather conditions.

As DFMG Deutsche Funkturm GmbH announced, the tower now reaches a height of 116 meters, after previously measuring 125.68 meters. This means that Schwerin Cathedral, at 117.5 meters, is once again the tallest building in the state capital. The telecommunications tower was built in the 1960s and went into operation on July 1, 1964.

Technical modernization

The technology in the tower top was no longer up to date and was no longer needed. The radio services, previously housed in the GRP cylinder, the top part of the tower, now broadcast from the neighboring transmission tower. This ensures that media and communication supplies are not affected by the dismantling work. The telecommunications tower remains essential for directional and mobile communications services, even if the steps to modernize the tower were long overdue given technical advances.

The dismantling of the GRP cylinder was approved in consultation with the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation. These structural changes reflect the adaptation to the changing technological requirements and the development of the communications sector, especially since the privatization of the postal companies in 2002, when the DFMG assumed responsibility for many of these important infrastructure projects.

A look into history

The Schwerin telecommunications tower is not only a technical structure, but also reflects the development of radio technology in the 20th century. Historically, the first television tower in Germany was built in 1935, the Berlin Radio Tower. Since then, around 300 similar towers have been established in Germany. They were mostly built as steel truss towers or in other ultra-modern architectural styles, such as the example of the Stuttgart television tower, which was the first to be built in reinforced concrete in 1956.

The telecommunications tower in Schwerin is currently no longer the tallest building in the city, but it remains an important part of the region's infrastructure and technology, which is dependent on constant advances in the field of radio technology DFMG makes clear.

Although the tower's observation deck and restaurant have not been open to the public for years, the telecommunications tower remains a symbol of Schwerin's technical development and history. And despite the challenges it has faced, it continues to stand tall as an essential communications hub in the city.