In Europe, we probably know Eiffel as the most celebrated and famous tower and became a cultural icon in France. We also know that Europe loves its castles with their walls and towers, but little did you know that in Germany, during the second world war, Hitler had ordered the construction of what were called ‘flak towers’ – a result of Hitler’s rage against the British bombing in Berlin.

But wait for a second, what and how exactly did a flak tower help in their military defense?

Flak Towers

These are concrete towers above the ground that prevented aerial bombardment. Germany built eight flak tower complexes around major cities like Vienna, Hamburg, and Berlin. In other cities important to Germans, smaller flak towers were also made.

Flak tower in Vienna. Vmenkov / Wikimedia Commons

The flak towers were constructed primarily for two purposes. First, they contained anti-aircraft guns to blast away at Allied bombers, they also served as air-raid shelters for civilians. The flak towers were always stocked with food, water, and had their own generators so that in case of an attack, they were pretty self-sufficient.