When the Goetheturm burned down on the night of October 12, 2017, it was "a stab in the heart of the people of Frankfurt." That's what Jan Schneider, the city's head of construction, said when he unveiled plans for the reconstruction. While the Goethe Tower Festival this year still has to take place in front of the old foundations of the burned landmark, Schneider is in good spirits that next year it will already be possible to celebrate around the new tower. This is not least due to numerous donations from citizens, but also from companies and corporations. Thus, the lawyer Christoph Schmitt, who had founded an association for the reconstruction of the Goetheturm shortly after the fire, was able to hand over a check for more than 21,600 <x>ampersand</x>euro; to Schneider at the on-site meeting. And also the von Poll Immobilien GmbH could hand over a handsome amount of 12,000 € to the head of the building department. A very special donation was also made at the appointment by Peter Löw, Martin Bendrick and Matthias Schmidt from the roofing company Willy A. Löw AG: they will donate the roof of the new Goethe Tower, which they had already built during the reconstruction in 2014.
The planning for the reconstruction took so long because the old tower was a problem child in some respects. Water, for example, could only drain away poorly, which had led to rot in some parts of the wooden structure. Only the impregnation of the wood with tea oil had protected the tower - but in the end it also caused it to burn so badly. In the new construction there will therefore also be steel and stainless steel elements in critical places, but these will hardly be visible to the layman. Overall, the new tower will be very closely based on the original construction. This is in line with the wishes of the people of Frankfurt, a large majority of whom (78%) voted in an online survey for a reconstruction in the old look.
"We have only improved the old design in a few places," reveals Jan Schneider, head of the building department. For example, unlike the old tower, the spacing of the steps would be uniform, which will make it easier for visitors to climb. The main supporting structure will be made of chestnut, the steps and railings will be made of oak. Of the foundations, at least the underground parts will be preserved and integrated into the new base. According to current plans, the cost of this reconstruction will be around 2.4 million <x>ampersand</x>euro;. About 2 million euros will be covered by insurance, with the remainder covered by donations. When the awarding of the construction work is completed, it is expected that construction work can begin in the autumn. And in time for the Goethe Tower Festival in May 2020, the grand reopening can then be celebrated. We are already looking forward to it and will of course stay tuned for you.
