Locals call her 'Goldelse' — Golden Lizzie. The gilded bronze figure of Victoria stands 8.3 metres tall on top of a 67-metre column in the middle of the Tiergarten, and she wasn't always here. The column was originally erected in front of the Reichstag in 1873 to celebrate Prussian military victories over Denmark, Austria, and France. Hitler had it moved to its current location in 1939 as part of his plans to transform Berlin into 'Germania,' a megalomaniac vision of a world capital that was never built.
The move actually saved the column. The original location was heavily bombed during the war. The French wanted to demolish it after 1945 — understandably, since it celebrated their defeat — but the Americans and British vetoed the idea.
Climb the 285 steps inside the column and you get a panoramic view from the centre of the Tiergarten. The park itself is worth understanding: this was once the royal hunting ground ('Tier' means animal, 'Garten' means garden), and every tree you see was planted after the war. The original forest was completely destroyed — not by bombs, but by desperate Berliners who cut down every tree for firewood during the brutal winter of 1945-46.
The column also has a strong connection to Berlin's LGBTQ+ community. The Love Parade, which drew over a million people at its peak, used to centre around the Victory Column, and Obama chose this spot for a speech in 2008 that drew 200,000 people.
Verified Facts
The Victory Column was moved from in front of the Reichstag to its current location by the Nazis in 1939
The golden Victoria statue on top is 8.3 metres tall, and the column stands 67 metres high
Every tree in the Tiergarten was planted after the war — Berliners cut them all down for firewood in the winter of 1945-46
Climbing the column requires ascending 285 steps
Get walking directions
Großer Stern, 10557 Berlin
