Wachturm Erna-Berger-Straße

One of the very few surviving Berlin Wall watchtowers, this BT-11 type observation tower stands near Potsdamer Platz. Originally part of the border fortification system, it is now a small exhibition space documenting the construction and function of the wall’s guard towers.

This watchtower is one of only three surviving examples from the Berlin Wall’s border fortification system within the city centre. It was positioned near Potsdamer Platz to give guards a clear view over the death strip and the surrounding area. The prefabricated concrete cylinder was designed for rapid assembly and provided a 360-degree view from its observation cabin.

The BT-11 was the most common tower type used in the later stages of the wall, replacing earlier wooden and brick structures. It was a prefabricated concrete cylinder, designed for rapid assembly and providing a 360-degree view from its observation cabin. Guards stationed in the tower worked in shifts, armed and under orders to prevent escape by any means necessary, including deadly force.

After reunification, almost all of Berlin’s approximately 302 watchtowers were demolished. This tower survived largely by chance and is now a protected monument. It occasionally is now a small exhibition space, though it is often closed to the public. It stands as a one of the few surviving pieces of the infrastructure that enforced the wall’s deadly border.

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