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 first waterworks supplied Bremen and Hamburg as early as the Middle Ages. In the second half of the 19th century, both cities and Bremerhaven had modern central water supplies built with massive water towers.

But gasworks, railways, industry, public institutions, and parks also possessed these cityscape-defining buildings. There were 18 in Bremen, 11 in Bremerhaven, and 63 in Hamburg. Their history touches on issues of hygiene, social conditions, industrial and technological development, and healthcare, which makes it so exciting and interesting to approach the topic from beyond the perspective of architectural history. Many of the buildings have since disappeared, while others have found new uses.

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.