Germany is full of historic landmarks, but after a devastating fire that broke out at Frankfurt’s Goethe Tower overnight, the country is waking up to one less piece of standing history.
Built in 1931, the wooden observation tower was named after the iconic academic, writer and nature enthusiast Johann Wolfgang von Goethe upon the hundredth anniversary of his death, and until last night’s fire, it remained the tallest wooden observation tower in all of Germany standing 43 meters (141 feet) tall.
By the time firefighters reached the scene, there was nothing that could be done to save the tower already engulfed in flames. For the 60 firefighters who rushed out, the only job was to make sure the fire stayed out of the surrounding areas. As for a cause, Police spokeswoman Isabell Neumann felt confident that the fire was manmade. “It all looks like arson. There were no electronics inside the tower and there were also no thunderstorm last night.”
