Commenced 23/07/2019
FERNSEHTURM
Previously known as the
EAST BERLIN TV TOWER
When you are in Berlin and around the Unter Den Linden area it is almost impossible to miss this structure, which is the highest point in Berlin.
I have been fascinated in the TV Tower (as I call it) for many years and have always collected postage stamps with depict it (and there are quite a few). I had always wanted to see it and did so for the first time in the mid-2000’s on my very first visit to Berlin, but I had to wait until my recent visit (2019) to actually visit both the restaurant and the viewing level at the top of the tower in the large ball shaped area.
The tower was completed in 1969 (the date given is the 3rd October, but it took some time to build as work commenced in 1965) and is 368.03 m tall (1,207.45 ft). It was built by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) as a symbol of communist power and as a landmark East Berlin structure. It remains a landmark to this day but of course East Berlin has long ceased to be since the unification of Berlin. Now the building is called the Berliner Fernsehturm (within the building it is known as Fernmeldeturn 32). There is a restaurant at the top, which revolves slowly (during our meal here it made at least three complete revolutions) and underneath this a viewing level, which does not revolve around. It is not cheap to visit, but for me was an essential ‘tick in the box’ place to go to.
I also collect postcards which depict the TV Tower and display here the selection I have managed to obtain over my recent visits. I will show both sides of each postcard (unless there are a few which have the same reverse layout without any differences:
DER PALAST DER REPUBLIK
PALACE OF THE REPUBLIC, BERLIN
Published by
EDITION PANORAMA BERLIN
Ref: PO 50
I would have bought this postcard even if it did not feature the TV Tower in the top left corner. This is the building that hosted the Volkskammer, the parliament of the old German Democratic Republic (or East Germany as we more commonly called it). This building, with its gold coloured windows, hosted the parliament from 1976 to 1990. It was completed in 1976, construction started in 1973, and was demolished between 2006 and 2008. On my very first visit to Berlin I was fortunate enough to see this building before it was pulled down. I remember it well as the gold coloured windows and long outline were very eye catching. This postcard reminded me of seeing this building, but it also has a cracking image on it. I bought this card in the DDR Museum in Berlin.
BERLIN, GERMANY
Multi-View Postcard
Published by
BOOMCITY
Ref: 881024
If you check this card out with the card immediately below you will see that the basic format is the same, its just that the images are different, although the TV Tower remains in the same bottom right corner. You do have to be a little careful here though as if you look too quickly you may assume these two cards are the same, when they are not. It would be possible to miss out on one of these.
FERNSEH- UND UKW-TURM IT TESTBILD
Published by
EDITION PANORAMA BERLIN
Ref: PO 10
This superb postcard depicts a stamp sheet which shows the TV Tower and a TV screen with a test card on it. I recognised what this was immediately as I have a mint and used copy of this stamp sheet in my television stamp collection. This was one of my favourite postcard designs and one which surprised me.
BRUNNEN-/ECKE BERNAUER STRABE
THE BERLIN WALL, WATCH-TOWER AND TV TOWER
By
HENDRIK G. PASTOR
Published by
PANORAMA-BERLIN-DE
Ref: Bestall-Nr. HP 02
A nice historic photograph of a time before the Berlin Wall came down, so prior to 1989. Postcards depicting images from this period are very popular and can be found in many of the tourist shops.
MITTE – NIKOLAIVIERTEL, THE OLD BERLIN
Published by
GLOBAL GUIDES, BERLIN
Ref: BP-24
This slightly larger postcard issue made me laugh when I saw it. It also captures the trend for ‘selfies’ which are so popular. I did also like the looks on the cats faces, and thinking about it, this also continues the trend for cat postcard images.
BERLIN MITTE
By
ELISANDRA (ELI SANDRA) – AGENTUR ART & DESIGN LICENSING
Published by
SKOWRONSKI & KOCH VERLAG – BERLIN
Ref: PK 5367
One of my favourite postcards from my most recent visit. There was a range of these map designs each depicting a different area of the city. I had to have this one because it shows the area around the TV Tower, and as it is depicted the card made the cut for my collection.
BERLIN
WALL ART DESIGN
(Depicted here within its packaging)
Novelty Metal Postcard
Published by
NOSTALGIC – ART MERCHANDISING GMBH
There is a range of different metal postcard designs issued by this company (priced around 2.99 to 3.99 euro’s each), but this was the only one which I found which featured the TV Tower. I like novelty postcard items, and this definitely fits the bill.
DDR DREAMIN
SOMMER AM ALEX
By
KLARA BEZUG
Publisher not named but it could, and probably was, published by KLARA BEZUG
Before you ask, ‘No’, there is not a beach like this anywhere near Berlin, so this image is a strange one. I liked it and as it depicts the tower it had to be added to the collection (under weird TV Tower cards)
LOVE IS THE ANSWER
STOP BUYING STUFF
‘Pandabar klettert von der berliner Volksbuhne
By
KLARA BEZUG
Published not named but it could, and probably was, published by KLARA BEZUG
There are pandas at the Berlin Zoo (which is located in another area of Berlin some distance away – and from where you can not see the TV Tower), they appear on a number Berlin related postcards and are popular animals.
BERLIN TRIP
By
HENRI BANKS
Published by
HENRI BANKS
“MAKE ART NOT WAR”
One of the more unusual designs I found and had I not found this in a shop very close to the TV Tower, and not known the shape of the TV Tower well, I might have missed them, which would have been a shame as it is very weird, but I really liked it.
BERLIN
MULTI-VIEW POSTCARD
Published by
SCHIKKUS VERLAG UND GROBHANDEL GMBH &CO. KG
Ref: Berlin 7817
Multi-view postcards are a strange breed of postcard, so much loved by members of the non-collecting public, but all but ignored by proper postcard collectors. I wonder if this because they seem so common and are often amongst the cheaper type of tourist aimed postcards. Few seem to be added to proper collections and this is a shame as it is a type of card which people are very aware of.
UNTITLED
Berlin TV Tower
Published by
SCHIKKUS VERLAG UND GROBHANDEL GMBH &CO. KG
Ref: 020
In their ‘BERLIN AFFAIR’ series
Another in what I think of as the ‘Polaroid Photo’ series, not that the company call them this, but you have to admit that these look just like the old polaroid camera photo’s (I had one of these cameras as a kid)
NON-POSTCARD ITEM
EURO SOUVENIR
BANK NOTE COLLECTION
‘BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ’
These can be found all over Europe at different locations. I have one I bought in France and which I depicted in 2016 with my posting related to my visit to Thiepval for the Somme 100 anniversary event. This one here I picked up in the tourist information gift shop located at the Brandenburg Gate. As it depicts the TV Tower I bought one for my collection.