Elisenturm, Wuppertal

The Elisenturm is a good 21 meters high observation tower in Wuppertal in a park on the ridge of the Hardt, north of the Wupper.

The tower received its name in honor of Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria, called Elise, the wife of Frederick William IV of Prussia. In 1820, the textile manufacturer and city councilor Engelbert Eller founded a country estate on the Hardt with a villa, orangery and factory buildings. In 1838, he built the tower as an observatory on the foundation of an old windmill from 1812. From about 1850 it was open to the public as an observation tower. Eller's widow bequeathed the property to the German Red Cross, which transferred it to the city of Wuppertal in 1907. The park surrounding the tower became part of the botanical garden founded in 1890 in 1910. After World War II, the Elisenturm was again used as an observatory by the Volkshochschule, but became increasingly dilapidated.

After a thorough renovation in the 1960s, the tower is now accessible on guided tours. The domed hall inside serves as an exhibition space and wedding hall.