Berlin

Berlin – the Tiergarten with the Victory Column

The Großer Tiergarten is Berlin's largest and best-known park, stretching between Zoo Station, the Brandenburg Gate, and the government district. Originally laid out as an electoral hunting ground, it was transformed in the 19th century into an expansive landscape park, largely to designs by the landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné. At the park's center, at the Großer Stern roundabout, rises the Victory Column, a monumental memorial commemorating Prussia's military successes in the 19th century. The column is crowned by a gilded statue of Victoria by the sculptor Friedrich Drake, affectionately nicknamed "Goldelse" by Berliners. The Victory Column originally stood at Königsplatz in front of the Reichstag building and was only moved to its current location in the 20th century.

Both the Tiergarten and the Victory Column are firmly anchored in the city's collective memory and rank among the most photographed sites in Berlin. The park serves as a green lung and recreational retreat for Berliners in the heart of the metropolis, while the Victory Column offers sweeping views over the city from its viewing platform. Together, the two sites symbolize Berlin's transformation from a center of Prussian power into today's cosmopolitan capital. With the 2034 commemorative 2-euro coin, Berlin honors this central landmark of the capital.