Author: Jens U. Schmidt

Elevated water tanks, as important structures in a modern water supply system, not only balance fluctuations in demand but also ensure a defined and largely constant water pressure at the taps in the supply area. Where the topography of the terrain precludes the construction of a water tank at a high elevation, water towers take over this function.

The history of the city of Berlin between 1838 and 1969 can also be portrayed from a very unusual perspective: through the 125 water towers that shape and continue to shape the cityscape. They represent the development of the drinking water and gas supply, but also the transportation system, especially the railway.

These striking buildings represent both industrial progress and the recreational opportunities offered to Berliners in parks such as the zoo and the Botanical Garden. Hospitals, prisons, and breweries needed them. Sixty-eight of the impressive structures still stand today and have been given a new purpose, some still awaiting it. There is much to tell about all of them, explained with the help of historical plans and images.

The book series “Water Towers in Germany” has so far published documentation from the following federal states and regions: Bavaria, Bremen and Hamburg, Berlin, Baden-Württemberg, Northwestern Germany, and Schleswig-Holstein. Documentation for Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland is in preparation. Further details can be found on the website of the German Water Tower Archive.