The Victory Column Or Siegessäule Is A Famous Sight In Berlin. Editorial Photo

It was designed after 1864 to remember Prussia winning the Danish-Prussian war. By the time it was finished on 2 September 1873 Prussia had also beat Austria in the Austro-Prussian War 1866 and France in the Franco-Prussian War 1870/1871. A bronze sculpture of Victoria was added. Berliners like to give nicknames to famous buildings. They call the statue Goldelse, meaning something like `Golden Lizzy`. She also has the nickname of `Chick on a Stick`.The column was built in the Königsplatz, now the Platz der Republik, in front of the Reichstag building. It had three blocks of sandstone decorated by cannons taken from the enemies in the three wars. In 1938 the column was moved to its present location, and a fourth ring, decorated with golden garlands was added. The monument is now on the Großer Stern Great Star. Many roads meet here, so there are four tunnels under the roads to the monument, and it is possible to climb the steps inside the column and look out over Berlin. If the Nazis had not moved the column it would probably have been destroyed in World War II.