The History of the Humberg Tower and the Association

On August 23rd 1896, dedicated citizens of Kaiserslautern founded the Humberg Tower Association for the purpose of organizing the financing and construction of the observation tower. At the first general meeting on September 14th 1896, Major Karl Mottes was elected chairman. Among the founding members were the manufacturer Pfaff, the printing works owner Rohr, the distinguished businessmen Pfeiffer and Karcher and the malt manufacturer Gelbert.

Building was begun in October 1898. On May 3rd 1899, the tower, now ten metres high, collapsed, probably on account of the use of poor cement. After reconstruction, the tower was opened officially on September 2nd 1900. In March 1909, the Humberg Tower Association was dissolved. During the Second World War, the tower was used by a communications battalion as an aircraft lookout post. An octagonal sandstone superstructure and a new roof were added after the war. In 1963, members of the St. George's Boy Scout Association attached a brass panorama plate to the viewing platform. This was renewed and augmented in 1995.

Original Design from the Year 1899

The Humberg Tower was built according to plans by the architect Ludwig Ritter von Stempel. It is a monumental building of sandstone blocks, typical of the Wilhelminian period, with neo-romantic traces. The octagonal base is 8.65 metres high (26 feet), the outside staircase at the front has 33 steps, the spiral staircase inside the tower has 130 steps. The viewing platform is 28.16 metres (93 feet) above the ground; the total height of the tower is 37.77 metres (118 feet). The tower stands on the highest point of the Humberg hill, 424.3 metres (1,396 feet) above sea level.