Einstein Tower

Einstein Tower is a solar observatory located on the Telegrafenberg hill in Potsdam, Brandenburg, designed to support observations related to Einstein’s theory of relativity. The tower is an early 20th-century expressionist building and a noted piece of modernist architecture.

The structure houses a solar telescope and was conceived to provide photographic and spectroscopic observations of the Sun; its distinctive curving form was intended to house the optical path and instrument rooms. The design and construction made the site both an architectural statement and a scientific instrument.

The tower was designed by Erich Mendelsohn and completed in the early 1920s to serve astrophysical research needs; it has undergone repairs and restorations after damage and material degradation in the 20th century. The observatory remains associated with Potsdam astronomical institutes and has been subject to conservation efforts to preserve Mendelsohn’s original design.

The Einstein Tower stands on Telegrafenberg in Potsdam, a science and observatory district southwest of central Berlin, roughly 20-30 km from central Berlin depending on route. The site is adjacent to other research institutes and observatory buildings on the hill.

• Architectural and scientific importance: The building was designed by architect Erich Mendelsohn and is a landmark of expressionist architecture as well as a functioning solar observatory.