The Wrangel Tower, also known as the Wrangel Tower, is part of the fortifications of Konigsberg.
Together with the Don Tower (now the Amber Museum is located in the tower), the Wrangel Tower, were called upon to cover the Upper Pond (Upper Lake) as the weakest point in the defense of the city.
The fortification tower is named after Field Marshal Friedrich Heinrich Ernst von Wrangel (1784-1877).
Currently, the Wrangel Tower is a historical monument of architecture, one of the sights of Kaliningrad and is among the objects of "Kaliningrad fortification".
The diameter of the tower is 34 meters, the height is 12 meters. The tower has three floors, forms a ring in the plan, which, in turn, forms an inner courtyard. The ring is reinforced with 16 concentric walls with arched openings.
Inside there are passageways with niches in which artillery pieces were installed. Two flights of stairs connect three floors and lead to the roof with an earthen embankment, on which guns could also be installed.
The superstructure, protruding above the teeth on the side facing the city, served to lift guns and ammunition using a winch. Artillery pieces were placed in 42 casemates arranged in two ring tiers. The brick walls of the Wrangel Tower are 1.35-1.65 meters thick from the outside.
A brief history of the Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad
The Wrangel Tower was built in Konigsberg in 1853-1856.
During the First World War, the tower also housed an infirmary.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the tower lost its defensive function and was not used for military purposes until 1944. Until 1945, the tower housed a youth tourist club. During the Second World War, a hospital and a large stronghold functioned.
During artillery shelling in April 1945, the walls and arches of the tower received direct hits and were damaged, but not pierced. The garrison of the Wrangel Tower capitulated after General Otto von Lyash signed the act of surrender of Konigsberg.
On the ledge of the shaft near the tower there was a now lost bronze figure of the German national fairy tale hero - peasant Michael (Die Deutsche Mischel am Wrangelturm). The sculpture "German Michael" with a flail for threshing grain on his shoulder was created in 1895 by the sculptor Johann Friedrich Roisch and installed in the garden near the Prussia Museum building on Koenigstrasse. In 1904, the German Michael was moved to the Royal Gate, and in early 1924 - to the preserved part of the fortress wall near the Wrangel Tower.
Practical information
Address of the Wrangel Tower: Kaliningrad, Proletarskaya Street, 2 / Professor Baranov, 2a.
The Wrangel Tower is located at the intersection of Proletarskaya and Professor Baranov Streets, next to the Upper Lake.
The distance from the center of Kaliningrad, which is conventionally considered Victory Square, is about 1.2 kilometers. You can walk for 15-20 minutes.
What to visit near Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad
Upper Lake and The lower lake is a favorite place for walking and recreation among locals and visitors of the city.
Yunost Park is one of the most popular city parks in Kaliningrad.
Maraunenhof was once an old German district, where the houses of architecture of those times are still preserved.
You can visit the Maraunenhof area on your own or with excursions from a Kaliningrad guide:
The Amber Museum, located in the walls of the fortification - the Don Tower.
Rosgarten Gate is one of the seven preserved city gates of Kaliningrad.
