Schrotkugelturm — Attraction in Berlin

In 1908 the Juhl & Sons Lead Foundry and Machine Factory (a.k.a. “Bleigießerei und Maschinenfabrik Juhl & Söhne”) built the five-story “Schrotkugelturm,” or Shot Ball Tower, in Berlin.

After climbing the 197 steps to the peak of the tower, foundry workers would drop molten lead through a central tube. The draft from the free fall through the open building would cool the lead, molding it into perfectly round shot balls.

The factory ceased production for good in 1939. The tower would become historically listed, then unlisted (thus unprotected and unkept), and finally listed again. After a renovation in the late ’90s, Germany added Shot Ball Tower to its locations for Doors Open Day (“Tag des offenen Denkmals”), during which the public is invited into buildings that are...

This is generally a "look at" not "go into" building. The entry to the tower is ALWAYS locked. No, the people living there do not own the keys to the tower so pestering them will just be rude. According to them a lot of visitors are very bold and use their private property or wander into their living quarters like its a bar. Don't do that people!

If you really REALLY want to go up there: You may be able to go into the tower during a special guided tour OR on the "Tag des offenen Denkmals" (day of open monuments) - but that's about it. The city seems to not want to risk their last standing tower of this kind to tourists with no sense for preservation of property.

And given how rude visitors are to the tenants... can't fault...

sehr interessantes Bauwerk. Nur zu besichtigen im Rahmen einer Standtführung durch die Viktoriastadt (Berlin Lichtenberg). Haben wir gemacht, ist aber schon sehr lange her. Ich weis nicht ob es heute noch möglich ist. Hier wurden früher Schrotkugeln hergestellt. Hätte man bei dem Namen sich fast denken können. Flüssiges Blei wird oben durch ein Sieb gegeossen und fällt hinab und wird dadurch zu perfekten Kugel und fest, durc h das abkühlen an der Luft. Unten fällt die heiße abe schon feste Kugel in ein Wasserbad. Von Oben hat man eine...