Bismarck Tower in Żary

Construction of this tower began on 1 April 1914, the 99th anniversary of Otto von Bismarck's birth, and it was never finished. The Bismarck Tower in Żary (German Bismarckturm Sorau; Żary was the German town of Sorau until 1945) stands in the woods of the Żary Hills south of the town. Instead of the planned 42 metres it only reached 25, and its vaulted brick interior now looks more like a castle ruin than a monument to the German chancellor.

History: a memorial that was never completed

The tower was the idea of the Sorau branch of the Riesengebirgsverein (Giant Mountains Club) and the town's beautification society. A builders' strike halted work in June 1914, and the outbreak of the First World War stopped construction for good. After 1918 the cult of Bismarck faded and post-war economic troubles meant work never resumed. Only wooden stairs supported by beams were fitted inside the unfinished tower. The cost is estimated at around 140,000 marks.

Fire lookout and slow decline

After 1945, when Żary became part of Poland, the tower was turned into a forest fire lookout. In the 1970s a wooden observation cabin was built on top; it was dismantled for safety reasons in 2002. The tower served as a lookout until 1980, when a new, taller observation tower was built. Since then it has been decaying: the granite steps, part of the façade cladding and the viewing terrace have been stolen, and graffiti covers the interior.

What to look for

• Brick arches and vaults inside, with empty window openings.
• Granite and brick walls – the materials the whole structure was meant to be built from.
• The scale of what was never built – try to imagine another 17 metres above the present top.

Tripto tip

The tower is not open to visitors, and according to hikers' reports the site is fenced off because of the risk of injury – view it from outside and do not climb the walls. A blue hiking trail runs nearby, and maps mark the "steps to the Bismarck Tower". Combine the visit with a walk to Góra Żarska (also called Gołębia, 226.9 m), the highest point of the Lubusz region, about 2.5 km south of the town. The tower itself takes a quarter of an hour, but allow 2–3 hours for a loop through the Żary Forest.