History of the tower

Up above the rooftops of Stuttgart

Think of Stuttgart Main Station and you immediately think of the famous tower of the Bonatz building. Necessity is the mother of invention – and this was also true in financially challenged post-war Stuttgart, when an impressive rotating Mercedes star was mounted on the top of the station tower, transforming it into a distinctive landmark for the city. That was back in 1952, but the station tower is actually much older than that. The following timeline reveals just how much history is packed into every single brick of the almost 100-year-old structure:

1914 – The foundation stone is laid for Stuttgart railway station.
               The architects: Paul Bonatz and Friedrich Scholer.

1916 – Completion of the 58-metre-high station tower. 
              290 oak piles support this massive structure.

1922 – Inauguration ceremony for the first part of the station building and the tower,
              including the tower restaurant.



1928 – The new central station is fully completed.

1945 – After the war, the entire station is severely dilapidated.
              The station roof had burned down, but the tower had survived comparatively unscathed.



1952 – The rotating Mercedes star on the tower platform finances the
              restoration of the station building.



1955 – The tower is converted into a hotel, which remains in business until 1976.

1998 – The tower is turned into an information centre for the Stuttgart – Ulm rail project, including the launch of the Turmforum.

2002 – The Turmforum presents a new interactive exhibition on three levels – since June 2008 on four levels.



2008 – More than 2 million visitors to the Turmforum.