The Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Turm is an observation tower in Bergen auf Rügen, built as a memorial to the poet and ‘patriot’ Ernst Moritz Arndt. It is one of the town’s best-known landmarks and stands on the Rugard, giving it a prominent position above the surrounding landscape.
It looks like a solid red-brick tower with a distinctly historic feel, rather than a sleek modern structure. The tower is roughly 27 metres high and has a sturdy, slightly monumental shape, which suits its role as both a lookout point and a commemorative building. If you want to climb up inside you need two Euros per person in coins for the automatic gate.
What makes it especially striking today is the glass dome at the top, which replaced earlier coverings during restoration. That glazed crown gives the tower a more elegant finish and makes it stand out even more, especially when lit from within at night.
Ernst Moritz Arndt
Ernst Moritz Arndt was a German writer, historian, and political publicist who was born on Rügen, ived from 1769 to 1860, and he became one of the loudest voices of early German nationalism. He opposed Napoleon and French domination, wrote patriotic songs and political pamphlets, and later taught at the university of Bonn (where he is also buried) and sat in the Frankfurter Nationalversammlung.
„Der Gott, der Eisen wachsen ließ,
– Vaterlandslied, Ernst Moritz Arndt
der wollte keine Knechte,
drum gab er Säbel, Schwert und Spieß
dem Mann in seine Rechte;
drum gab er ihm den kühnen Mut,
den Zorn der freien Rede,
dass er bestände bis aufs Blut,
bis in den Tod die Fehde.“
His legacy is deeply flawed. Arndt did not just argue for German unity; he also promoted aggressive nationalism, encouraged hatred of the French, and expressed openly antisemitic views that treated Jews as a threat to the nation. That makes him a historically important but morally troubling figure, not someone to admire uncritically.
„Lasst klingen, was nur klingen kann,
– Vaterlandslied, Ernst Moritz Arndt
die Trommeln und die Flöten!
Wir wollen heute Mann für Mann
mit Blut das Eisen röten,
mit Henkerblut, Franzosenblut –
o süßer Tag der Rache!
Das klinget allen Deutschen gut,
das ist die große Sache.“
For that reason, it is difficult to defend the fact that a public school in Herzberg am Harz close to my hometown still bears his name. In my view, a school should stand for openness, dignity, and democratic values, so keeping Arndt as its namesake feels outdated and wrong. A renaming would be the sensible and overdue step.
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Turm
Bergen auf Rügen
Germany
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