Berlin's Olympic Bell Tower and the bell in it have a long and troubled history. Built for the 1936 Olympic Games, they were not so much a symbol of a peaceful sports event but a demonstration of power and Nazi ideology.
The tower was damaged in 1944, when an anti-aircraft gun, aiming at allied bombers hit it accidentally. In May 1945, after the Soviet Army took Berlin, the tower caught fire and became unstable. Eventually, it was demolished by British pioneers on February 15, 1947.
The bell, weighing 9.6 tons still hang in the top of the bell tower, when the pioneers pushed to demolition button. It came crashing down 250 feet and sustained a crack that made it useless as a bell. After having been used for target practice by British and American soldiers it was buried in front of the tower.
In 1956, however, it was unearthed and placed as a monument on the southern forecourt of the Olympic Stadium. |
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