Residents in the area where Berlin’s own Eiffel Tower stands have put up a fight after the wooden structure was scheduled to be dismantled and removed. A successful crowdfunding campaign has now raised 30.000 euros for the tower’s revamp.

Berlin Eiffel Tower to be re-erected

It’s not so well known, but Paris (and Las Vegas) aren't the only world cities with their own Eiffel Tower. In Berlin’s northern district of Wedding sits, small but proud, a 13-metre-high reconstruction of Gustav Eiffel’s masterpiece, which was originally built for the 1889 World's Fair.

Standing in front of the Centre Français, the fond neighbour of many locals was recently declared unsound and ordered to be dismantled. The announcement ignited a chorus of criticism from the neighbourhood, who expressed their disappointment that the structure would disappear.

“What many people don’t know is that the Eiffel Tower is made of wood and must be refurbished every 10 years,” the Centre Français told Tagesspiegel. Now, so that the Turm can keep its pride of place, donations have been collected to fund its refurbishment. A crowdfunding campaign has now raised a total of 30.000 euros for the revamp, 22.000 for the wood, 4.000 for special materials and 4.000 for transportation and construction.

Mini Eiffel Tower is symbol of Berlin-Paris friendship

Though it may just seem like a spot to go and trick yourself into thinking you’re in the Haussmannian city of love rather than the grey city of Plattenbauten, Berlin’s Eiffel Tower symbolises a long history of Franco-German relations.

The tower was a gift to the Centre Français from the organisers of the Franco-German Folk Festival when the French Allies withdrew from the German city in 1994. Now, it represents the twinning of Berlin and Paris, and admittedly, functions as the perfect spot for importing a healthy dose of imagination, “Numerous proposals of marriage have taken place here, even a breakfast at the foot of the tower during coronavirus to quench wanderlust,” the Centre Français added.

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