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114-459: The wild, jagged mountain with its numerous caves reveals traces of Stone and Bronze Age settlement and was later used frequently as a place of refuge during times of crisis as a result of its poor accessibility. Since the 19th century the Pfaffenstein has been developed for touristic purposes. The hill now boasts an inn, an observation tower , several viewing points and other places of interest on

228-425: A material lift which is still working today. Hermann Keiler, who had already purchased three plots of land on the hill, originally rented land from several other owners of the hill in order to offer visitors access to the rock formations. Finally he and his son bought as many of the plots as possible, so that the family ended up owning eleven of the twelve hectares of the plateau. The first wooden observation tower

342-505: A Danish declaration that they would hold the city for Napoleon, irrevocably binding Denmark to France, an action that would guarantee full Swedish cooperation in North Germany. The Swedish occupation of Hamburg came as welcome news to the Allies, insofar as holding a wealthy center of finance was a blow against Napoleon. However, Bernadotte's initial misgivings at extending his troops so far from

456-606: A French general as well as his familiarity with Napoleon. The result was the Trachenberg Plan , authored primarily by Carl Johan of Sweden and the Austrian Chief of Staff, Field-Marshal Lieutenant Joseph Radetzky , that sought to wear down the French using a Fabian strategy , avoiding direct combat with Napoleon, engaging and defeating his marshals whenever possible and slowly encircling the French with three independent armies until

570-517: A breakdown of communications, MacDonald's several corps found themselves isolated from one another with many bridges over the Katzback and Neisse rivers destroyed by surging waters. 200,000 Prussians and French collided in a confused battle that degenerated into hand-to-hand combat. However, Blücher and the Prussians rallied their scattered units and attacked an isolated French corps and pinned it against

684-735: A call to arms to his subjects, An Mein Volk . Prussia had declared war on France on 13 March, which was received by the French on 16 March. The first armed conflict occurred on 5 April in the Battle of Möckern , where combined Prusso-Russian forces defeated French troops. Meanwhile, Napoleon withdrew some 20,000 troops from the ongoing Peninsular War to reinforce his position in Central Europe, which left his Iberian forces weakened and vulnerable to Anglo–Spanish–Portuguese attacks. On 17 March 1813, his brother King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain withdrew from Madrid,

798-584: A clear sign of losing control. Wellington led a 123,000-strong army across northern Spain, taking Burgos in late May, and decisively defeating Jourdan at the Battle of Vitoria on 21 June. Marshal Soult failed to turn the tide in his large-scale Battle of the Pyrenees (25 July to 2 August). In June, the United Kingdom formally entered the coalition. Initially, Austria remained loyal to France, and foreign minister Metternich aimed to mediate in good faith

912-509: A flag pole at its top. Some of these towers are permanently accessible, either free or with the payment of an admission fee. Others are accessible only at certain times, in most cases only with the payment of an admission fee. At these towers the platform is usually open, with some having a restaurant in the basement. There are also towers with a much more extensive use; for example. the observation tower on Rossberg mountains in Reutlingen contains

1026-460: A hotel within its structure. Although most of these towers were initially built before World War I , such structures are still being built, in particular as attractions at horticultural shows . Modern observation towers are in most cases no longer built of brick, but concrete, steel and wood are used as the preferred building materials. Permanent observation towers are also sometimes found in amusement parks , however in parks where each attraction

1140-515: A lighthouse is usually between 10 and 50 metres high, and is almost always open air. Some sports facilities have high buildings with observation decks. This is often the case at ski jumps, as these have a tower and are usually unused in the summer. In addition, there are other sports facilities with observation decks, like the inclined tower of the Montreal Olympic stadium. Access to the platform of nearly all sports facilities with observation deck

1254-599: A lightning strike in 1944 and suffering badly from the resulting erosion, the head of the Barbarine had to be reinforced more than once. Since 1975 it has been out of bounds to climbers, in order to preserve the rock. In 1992 the state of Saxony purchased the land on the Pfaffenstein from the Keiler family for 2.9 million DM for the Saxon Switzerland Conservation Association. In 1993 the inn also went into

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1368-763: A long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations . Observation towers are usually at least 20 metres (66 ft) tall and are made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches. The towers first appeared in the ancient world, as long ago as the Babylonian Empire. Observation towers that are used as guard posts or observation posts over an extended period to overlook an area are commonly called watchtowers instead. Similar instances of observation towers are recognised as crow's nests , observatories , viewing platforms , etc. Observation towers are an easily visible sight on

1482-569: A member of the Coalition. Napoleon withdrew with around 175,000 troops to Leipzig in Saxony where he thought he could fight a defensive action against the Allied armies converging on him. There, at the so-called Battle of Nations (16–19 October 1813) a French army, ultimately reinforced to 191,000, found itself faced by three Allied armies converging on it, ultimately totalling more than 430,000 troops. Over

1596-630: A million Allied troops (not including the strategic reserve being formed in Germany). During the armistice, three Allied sovereigns, Alexander of Russia, Frederick William of Prussia, and Carl Johan of Sweden (by then Regent of the kingdom due to his adoptive father's illness) met at Trachenberg Castle in Silesia to coordinate the war effort. Allied staffs began creating a plan for the campaign wherein Bernadotte once again put to use his fifteen years of experience as

1710-405: A new army as large as that he had sent into Russia, and quickly built up his forces in the east from 30,000 to 130,000 and eventually to 400,000. Napoleon inflicted 40,000 casualties on the Allies at Lützen (near Leipzig, 2 May) and Bautzen (20–21 May 1813) but his army lost about the same number of men during those encounters. Both battles involved total forces of over 250,000 – making them among

1824-701: A peace between France and its continental enemies, but it became apparent that the price was to be the dismantling of the Confederation of the Rhine , the Napoleon-controlled union of all German states aside from Prussia and Austria, and the return to France's pre-Revolutionary borders. Napoleon was not interested in any such compromise that would in effect end his empire, so Austria joined the allies and declared war on France in August 1813. Napoleon vowed that he would create

1938-478: A period of reconstruction and recuperation" and Napoleon needed time to acquire horses for his depleted cavalry and bring up more reinforcements. Therefore, Napoleon was amiable to the armistice offered by the Allies despite the Allies being in a grave condition. During the armistice, a disastrous interview with Austrian Chancellor Metternich , in which Napoleon heaped recriminations on the Austrians and threw his hat to

2052-531: A proclamation by the Swedish Crown Prince urging the Saxon Army (Bernadotte had commanded the Saxon Army at the Battle of Wagram and was well liked by them) to come over to the Allied cause, Saxon generals could no longer answer for the fidelity of their troops and the French now considered their remaining German allies unreliable. Later, on 8 October 1813, Bavaria officially ranged itself against Napoleon as

2166-402: A restaurant. The height of these platforms, which can be glassed or open-air depending on the height of the building, where they are most common on the topmost floor. As a rule access usually requires the payment of an admission fee, is possible by elevator only at dedicated opening times. Also numerous water towers have, a usually open-air observation deck opened for public traffic, whose height

2280-428: A rule an elevator is available in these buildings for the visitors of the observation deck, as the observation deck lies usually very highly (mostly within the range between 50 and 200 metres, at some towers also more highly). Many of these towers have also a tower restaurant, which can be designed as revolving restaurant. While tower restaurants for the protection of the restaurant guests from the wind are in closed rooms,

2394-609: A rule, since these buildings are mostly not higher than 20 metres. Active watch towers are not as a rule accessible to the public, since they usually serve for the monitoring of sensitive ranges. However watch towers can be quite ordered for forest fire monitoring a platform accessible for the public or be used during times without forest fire risk as observation towers. Shut down watch towers can however be easily converted to observation towers. Also some radio towers were so built that they can be used apart from their function as transmitting tower also as observation tower. A condition for this

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2508-423: A soldier his duty was to break through, but as a Prussian patriot his position was more difficult. He had to judge whether the moment was favorable for starting a war of liberation; and, whatever might be the enthusiasm of his junior staff-officers, Yorck had no illusions as to the safety of his own head, and negotiated with Clausewitz. The Convention of Tauroggen armistice, signed by Diebitsch and Yorck, "neutralized"

2622-433: A t-antenna for medium wave and stands on insulators. However one notices at the first experimental transmissions that at the tower voltages would arise, which would have unpleasant consequences for visitors and so the tower was grounded by the elevator shaft. However this shifted direction of main beam of transmitter away from actual supply area, the city of Berlin. As before World War II nearly whole radio traffic took place in

2736-708: A whetstone. The site was probably one of the oldest fortifications of the Lusatian Culture. The only prehistoric relic still visible today is the semi-circular rampart, also dating to the Bronze Age, on the western side of the Pfaffenstein near the Bequemer Aufstieg trail. The 200-metre-long (660 ft) embankment probably guarded the only entrance to the plateau and was surrounded by a ditch. Archaeological investigations in 1959 and 1961 estimated its age at about 3,000 years. More pieces of ceramic were discovered inside

2850-669: Is a sufficiently stable construction, which permits a permanent safe visitor entrance without interruption of the transmission services. This is the case for towers for radio services in the UHF/VHF-range the case, not however for most types of radio towers for long and medium wave, why a use of these structures as observation tower is impossible in most cases. That the use of a tower as radio tower for medium wave and observation tower not well fits, showed up in Radio Tower Berlin , which originally carried together with an 80 metres high mast

2964-436: Is in contrast to the entrance of the church usually only possible under payment an admission fee at the opening times of the church. The height of the observation decks is usually in the range between 20 and 50 metres. The platform is nearly always open-air. Some lighthouses have an observation deck open to the public. Access is usually by stairs. An admission fee is often charged and hours may be limited. The observation deck of

3078-486: Is mostly as the height of older observation towers in the height range between 10 and 50 metres. It can be reached depending upon tower by stairs or by an elevator. Some water towers have also a tower restaurant. Prospect platforms of water towers are nearly only accessible under payment during the opening times, which are different for each tower. Also some church towers possess observation decks. However elevators are only available in rare cases. The entrance of this platform

3192-427: Is not separately paid for, panorama rides are preferred. Watch towers are observation towers, on which persons supervise a larger area. Strictly speaking, control towers also fall into this category, although surveillance from these structures is mostly done in a non-optical way using Radar . Watch towers usually have a closed pulpit to protect the observer against bad weather. Watch towers do not have an elevator as

3306-551: Is only possible during opening times after paying an admission fee. Depending upon the building the access can be done by an elevator and/or a stairway. The platforms can be vitreous or open. The height above ground lies usually between 10 and 50 metres. Fire lookout towers have been used widely in Australia, Canada, and the United States to hoist fire lookout persons to heights where they can identify and report new wildfires. In

3420-508: Is possible that he hid in the rather drier Falken Cave. Another theory is that he only went to the cave during the day, but used to stay overnight in his brother-in-law's hut. Goldschmidt was arrested in Dresden at the end of November 1854. A court sentenced Goldschmidt, his brother-in-law Kliemann and other accomplices to jail; the Kliemann inn was then demolished. In the time that followed, the hill

3534-460: The Battle of Kulm (29–30 August 1813), losing 13,000 men further weakening his army. Realizing that the Allies would continue to defeat his subordinates, Napoleon began to consolidate his troops to force a decisive battle. The French then suffered another grievous loss at the hands of Bernadotte's army on 6 September at Dennewitz where Ney was now in command, with Oudinot now as his deputy. The French were once again attempting to capture Berlin,

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3648-566: The Berezina river. Napoleon now left his army to return to Paris and prepare a defence of the Duchy of Warsaw against the advancing Russians. The situation was not as dire as it might at first have seemed; the Russians had also lost around 400,000 men, and their army was similarly depleted. However, they had the advantage of shorter supply lines and were able to replenish their armies with greater speed than

3762-640: The Continental System . The Grande Armée , consisting of as many as 650,000 men (roughly half of whom were French, with the remainder coming from allies or subject areas), crossed the Neman river on 24 June 1812. Russia proclaimed a Patriotic War, while Napoleon proclaimed a " Second Polish War ". But against the expectations of the Poles, who supplied almost 100,000 troops for the invasion force, and having in mind further negotiations with Russia, he avoided restoring

3876-564: The Einsiedler . The name Pfaffenstein is very probably derived from the nearby village of Pfaffendorf . This settlement in the borough of Königstein was given its name because its inhabitants paid taxes to the church at Königstein in the Middle Ages, as evinced by the first mention of the village's name in the records in 1437. Its old name of Jungfernstein ("Virgin Rock") comes from a legend about

3990-877: The Henninger Turm , a grain silo with tower restaurant and observation deck in Frankfurt, the bell tower of Berlin Olympic stadium , whose platform is accessible by an elevator, the winding tower of the mining industry museum in Bochum, which has an open-air observation deck to which an elevator runs or a wind turbine in Holtriem wind park, which is equipped with a closed platform accessible over stairs. Also aerial tramway support towers, which serve as observation tower (and aerial tramway station), were realized, like Torre Jaume I in Barcelona. Even on

4104-514: The Imperial Russian Army . According to the Treaty of Tilsit (9 July 1807), Prussia had to support Napoleon's invasion of Russia. This resulted in some Prussians leaving their army to avoid serving the French, like Carl von Clausewitz , who joined Russian service. When Yorck's immediate French superior Marshal MacDonald , retreated before the corps of Diebitsch, Yorck found himself isolated. As

4218-532: The Jäckelfels , a crag named in his honour. The medallion has a life-sized head and shoulders relief with the inscription "The explorer and guardian of the Pfaffenstein, Mr. Karl Gottlob Jäckel honoured by the Fatherland. Alpine Club of Saxonia on 2 October 1881". In 1852, at Jäckel's instigation, Carl Gottlieb Kliemann from Pfaffendorf established the first, small inn on the hill in a cattle stall. Kliemann also blazed

4332-491: The Lusatian Culture . On the plateau, near the present hilltop inn, various stone flat axes, clay vessels, a grinding stone and the site of a hearth came to light during digs from 1896 to 1912. In 1921 the innkeeper, Richard Keiler, found two bronze bangles. Other excavations were carried out on the plateau in 1967; they confirmed the settlement as being part of the Lusatian Culture. The diggers found more ceramic artefacts and

4446-566: The Rhineland (the west bank of the Rhine river), while giving up control of all the rest, including all of Poland, Spain and the Netherlands, and most of Italy and Germany. Metternich told Napoleon these were the best terms the Allies were likely to offer; after further victories, the terms would be harsher and harsher. Metternich aimed to maintain France as a balance against Russian threats, while ending

4560-498: The UHF / VHF range ( FM sound broadcasting , TV, public rural broadcasting service, and portable radio service). In some cases this usage of the tower is at least as important as its use as an observation tower. Such towers are usually called TV towers or telecommunication towers. Many towers are also equipped with a tower restaurant and allow visitors access via elevators. Also common is the usage of water towers as observation towers. As in

4674-602: The War of the Sixth Coalition ( French : Guerre de la Sixième Coalition ) (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation ( German : Befreiungskriege ), a coalition of Austria , Prussia , Russia , Spain , Great Britain , Portugal , Sweden , Sardinia , and a number of German States defeated France and drove Napoleon into exile on Elba . After

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4788-724: The 100,000 French troops still garrisoned in fortresses throughout northern Germany. Despite several attempts by the Russian General Bennigsen to storm the city, Marshal Davout held Hamburg for France until after Napoleon's abdication in April 1814. However, whilst Bernadotte cleared the Low Countries of the French in Spring 1814, the people of Norway objected to being bartered between kings, declared independence and adopted their own constitution on 17 May 1814. Even as fighting between

4902-605: The Allied armies. In total the Allies now had around 800,000 frontline troops in the German theatre, with a strategic reserve of 350,000. As a consequence of the armistice, the French lost their initial advantage in numbers as the Austrians, and Russia's huge manpower reserves, were brought to the front. Napoleon succeeded in bringing the total imperial forces in the region up to around 650,000 (although only 250,000 were under his direct command, with another 120,000 under Nicolas Charles Oudinot and 30,000 under Davout). The Confederation of

5016-405: The Allied lines, with British General Hope calling Döbeln, who was later court-martialed for disobeying orders "the mad Swedish General," were validated when Marshal Davout approached Hamburg with a French force of 34,000, intent on retaking the city. The Swedes quietly withdrew on 26 May and Davout would occupy the city until after Napoleon's abdication in 1814. It would be the last major action of

5130-449: The Allies narrowly slipped the noose. So while Napoleon had struck a heavy blow against the Allies, several tactical errors had allowed the Allies to withdraw, thus ruining Napoleon's best chance at ending the war in a single battle. Nonetheless, Napoleon had once again inflicted a heavy loss on the primary Allied Army despite being outnumbered and for some weeks after Dresden Schwarzenberg declined to take offensive action. However at about

5244-530: The Allies. Napoleon turned the Allied Left Flank, and in skilful use of terrain, pinned it against the flooded Weißeritz river and isolated it from the rest of the Coalition Army. He then gave his famed cavalry commander, and King of Naples, Joachim Murat leave to destroy the surrounded Austrians. The day's torrential rain had dampened gunpowder, rendering the Austrians' muskets and cannon useless against

5358-581: The Coalition and France ended with Napoleon's abdication, codified in the Treaty of Fontainbleau on 11 April 1814, Bernadotte found himself planning and leading yet another campaign to see the results of the Treaty of Kiel fully realized. It would be the final campaign of the War of the Sixth Coalition. On 27 July 1814, Bernadotte, supported by the Swedish and British fleets, invaded Norway on two fronts, intending to envelop

5472-550: The Danish Auxiliary Corps scored a minor victory at Sehested . However, while the Danish victory managed to ensure the retreat of the main Danish army from immediate destruction, and brought about a three-week armistice, it could not change the course of war. Following a breakdown of negotiations, the armistice concluded and on 14 January 1814 Bernadotte invaded Schleswig , swiftly invested and reduced its fortresses and occupied

5586-615: The French Emperor could be cornered and brought to battle against vastly superior numbers. Following the conference, the Allies stood up their three armies: The Army of Silesia, with 95,000 Prussians and Russians, commanded by Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher ; the Army of the North, 120,000 Swedes, Russians, Prussians, and German troops from Mecklenburg , the Hanseatic cities and North Germany, under

5700-430: The French had occupied Moscow but found the city practically empty. Alexander I (despite having almost lost the war by Western European standards) refused to capitulate, leaving the French in the abandoned city of Moscow with little food or shelter (large parts of Moscow had burned down ) and winter approaching. In these circumstances, and with no clear path to victory, Napoleon was forced to withdraw from Moscow. So began

5814-677: The French, especially because Napoleon's losses of cavalry and wagons were irreplaceable. At the beginning of 1812 Britain had already been at war with France for eight years, and had been fighting alongside the Portuguese and Spanish in the Peninsular War for more than three years. Russia and Sweden, which had opposed Napoleon up to 1807 and 1810 respectively, had been forced to join his Continental System against Britain, but continued to trade secretly with her. On 9 January 1812, French troops suddenly occupied Swedish Pomerania , ostensibly to end

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5928-511: The Katzbach, annihilating it; forcing the French into the raging waters where many drowned. The French suffered 13,000 killed and wounded and 20,000 captured. The Prussians lost but 4,000 men. Napoleon himself, lacking reliable and numerous cavalry, was unable to prevent the destruction of a whole army corps, which had isolated itself pursuing the enemy following the Battle of Dresden without support, at

6042-581: The Kingdom of Norway was to be ceded to the King of Sweden. Believing his primary goal of detaching Norway from Denmark and binding it with Sweden had been fully achieved, Bernadotte and the Swedish and Russian corps of his Army of the North advanced into and occupied the Low Countries. Other elements of the Army of the North were also tasked with besieging Marshal Davout's 40,000 French and Danish troops in Hamburg, as well as

6156-504: The Norwegian forces with a combined Swedish army of 40,000 well-trained, well-equipped men, many of whom were veterans of the recent Leipzig and Danish Campaigns. Facing them were 30,000 Norwegian militia, who were short on equipment, training and munitions, but full of patriotic ardor and acquitted themselves well in the face of overwhelming odds. The Norwegians fought well, winning defensive battles at Lier and Matrand , but could not stop

6270-724: The Pfaffenstein is formed by rugged and heavily fissured sandstone rocks. There are numerous isolated rock formations around the main massif, the best-known being the Barbarine on the southern tip of the Pfaffenstein. Other significant rock pinnacles are the Königspitze , the Förster , the Bundesfels , the Rauhe Zinne , the Jäckelfels , the Pfaffenschluchtspitzen , the Peterskirche and

6384-587: The Prussian corps without consent of their king. The news was received with the wildest enthusiasm in Prussia, but the Prussian Court dared not yet throw off the mask, and an order was despatched suspending Yorck from his command pending a court-martial. Diebitsch refused to let the bearer pass through his lines, and the general was finally absolved when the Treaty of Kalisch (28 February 1813) definitely ranged Prussia on

6498-435: The Prussians and Russians, French losses had been heavy and a chronic lack of horses for his cavalry meant that Napoleon could not fully exploit his victories and inflict a decisive defeat in the same vein as Austerlitz or Friedland . Napoleon's new army was filled with fresh conscripts, lacked many necessities and was exhausted from their long march from France and Napoleon's rapid maneuvering. The French were "in dire need of

6612-509: The Rhine furnished Napoleon with the bulk of the remainder of the forces, with Saxony and Bavaria as principal contributors. In addition, to the south, Murat's Kingdom of Naples and Eugène de Beauharnais 's Kingdom of Italy had a combined total of 100,000 men under arms. In Spain an additional 150–200,000 French troops were being steadily beaten back by Spanish and British forces numbering around 150,000. Thus in total around 900,000 French troops were opposed in all theatres by somewhere around

6726-630: The Russian war effort while Charles John had struck up a friendship with Alexander, and gave him moral support, strategic and tactical advice on how to defeat the French, as well as valuable insights on Napoleon himself (having had much contact with Napoleon as a member of the extended Imperial Family). However Russia bore the brunt of the French onslaught on her territory alone. After the French Grande Armée retreated from Moscow on 18/19 October 1812 and suffered heavy casualties due to extreme cold, food shortages and repeated Russian attacks, Napoleon did not seem to be as invincible as before. On 14 December,

6840-532: The Spring before the Armistice of Pläswitz . The belligerents declared an armistice from 4 June 1813 which lasted until 13 August, during which time both sides attempted to recover from approximately a quarter of a million losses since April. During this time Allied negotiations finally brought Austria out in open opposition to France (like Prussia, Austria had moved from nominal ally of France in 1812 to armed neutral in 1813). Two principal Austrian armies deployed in Bohemia and Northern Italy, adding 300,000 troops to

6954-417: The United States, there once were over 5,000 fire lookout towers. Areas where birdlife congregates are often associated with bird observation towers to assist with viewing. Hyperboloid structures have a hyperboloid shape that is usually lattice framework and an observation deck on top. There are also some very different observation towers, which don't fit into other categories. Examples for this are

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7068-441: The advancing Swedish columns. As a consequence, an armistice (the Convention of Moss ) was concluded on 14 August followed by swift negotiations. The terms of Union were generous to the Norwegians as Bernadotte and the Swedes had no wish to inaugurate the union of Sweden and Norway with further bloodshed. Norway agreed to enter into a personal union with Sweden as a separate state with its own constitution and institutions, except for

7182-674: The case of TV towers the visitor will usually reach the observation deck by elevator, which is usually at a lower height above ground The typical height of the observation deck of water towers is 20 metres up to 50 metres, while the typical height of the platform of TV towers is from 80 metres up to 200 metres. Finally, some church towers may have observation decks, albeit often without an elevator. Many other buildings may have towers which allow for observation. In particular prior to World War I rambler associations, and some municipalities, built observation towers on numerous summits. Usually these towers were built of stone, however sometimes wood or iron

7296-431: The central position. Having lost the initiative, he was now forced to concentrate his army and seek a decisive battle at Leipzig . Compounding the heavy military losses suffered at Dennewitz, the French were now losing the support of their German vassal states as well. News of Bernadotte's victory at Dennewitz sent shock waves across Germany, where French rule had become unpopular, inducing Tyrol to rise in rebellion and

7410-465: The countryside, as they must rise over trees and other obstacles to ensure clear vision. Older control rooms have often been likened to medieval chambers. The heavy use of stone, iron, and wood in their construction helps to create this illusion. Modern towers frequently have observation decks or terraces with restaurants or on the roof of mountain stations of an aerial ropeway. Frequently observation towers are used also as location of radio services within

7524-477: The dates "1702" and "1714" scrawled in the Schwedenkeller and on the Bequemer Aufstieg . On the eastern side of the hill a large rock face collapsed in 1838. One of the piles of rubble at the foot of the cliff is the present-day climbing area of Klamotte . The resulting fresh rock face is visible a long way off and is called the Weiße Wand ("White Wall") on account of its light-coloured, relatively unweathered surface. Carl Gottlob Jäckel (1803–1882) pioneered

7638-620: The desire existed to provide these towers with a tower restaurant and an observation deck, in order to make the building of towers more economical via admission fees and increased notability. Several water towers were also built with this in mind, but many have not survived to the modern day. War of the Sixth Coalition After the Armistice of Pläswitz After the Battle of Leipzig After 20 November 1813 [REDACTED] Netherlands After January 1814 [REDACTED] Denmark [REDACTED]   France Until January 1814 ( 1813–1814 ) 526,000 610,000 In

7752-401: The disastrous French invasion of Russia of 1812 in which they had been forced to support France, Prussia and Austria joined Russia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Portugal, and the rebels in Spain who were already at war with France. The War of the Sixth Coalition saw battles at Lützen , Bautzen , and Dresden . The even larger Battle of Leipzig (also known as the Battle of Nations) was

7866-493: The disastrous Great Retreat , during which the retreating army came under increasing pressure due to lack of food, desertions, and increasingly harsh winter weather, all while under continual attack by the Russian army led by Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Kutuzov , and other militias. Total losses of the Grand Army were at least 370,000 casualties as a result of fighting, starvation and the freezing weather conditions, and 200,000 captured. By November, only 27,000 fit soldiers re-crossed

7980-400: The east and from Prussian recruiting depots. Many Russian officers yearned to return to Russia having achieved their goal of ridding Russia of the French. Frederick William of Prussia had always viewed a renewed war with France as dubious, and the two defeats at Lützen and Bautzen had led him to reconsider peace. Moreover, the Prussians and the Russians were hopeful of bringing the Austrians into

8094-422: The elevator in the late 19th century made taller observation decks possible. Most notably, the Eiffel Tower and the Blackpool Tower were built in this era. Radio towers developed as combined sending and observation tower between 1924 and 1926 in the city of Berlin . After World War II , a great need for tall observation towers arose, due to their dual usage as television and radio transmitters. In large cities,

8208-402: The entire province. The Danes, heavily outnumbered, could not prevent an Allied advance on Jutland or Copenhagen , and sued for peace. It would be the final chapter in the long and bloody history of conflicts between Sweden and Denmark with the former definitively victorious. On 14 January 1814, the Treaty of Kiel was concluded between Sweden and Denmark–Norway . By the terms of the treaty,

8322-542: The exact parameters of a military alliance remained in negotiation throughout the winter of 1812-1813. When Napoleon marched on Moscow in June 1812, neither Britain nor Sweden was able to give direct military support to Russia, though that same month the British and Spanish armies had advanced into central Spain , defeating the French at Salamanca and capturing Madrid , tying down a French army of 230,000. Britain also helped subsidize

8436-557: The exploitation of the Pfaffenstein for tourism in modern times. His good local knowledge made him a trusted tour guide and the locals referred to him as the "Mountain Spirit of the Pfaffenstein" ( Berggeist vom Pfaffenstein ) or the Rübezahl of the Pfaffenstein . He planned and led the establishment of the first trails and rediscovered the Kuhstall Cave. In 1881 a marble medallion was placed on

8550-403: The field. Further losses occurred during the pursuit that evening, and into the following day, as the Swedish and Prussian cavalry took a further 13,000–14,000 French prisoners. Ney retreated to Wittenberg with the remains of his command and made no further attempt at capturing Berlin. Napoleon's bid to knock Prussia out of the war had failed; as had his operational plan to fight the battle of

8664-510: The first trails to various viewing points and notable rock formations. Supported by his brother-in-law Kliemann, probably out of self-interest, Friedrich Eduard Goldschmidt, a lithographer and counterfeiter who had escaped from prison in Königstein on the night of 27 September 1854, forged Anhalt-Dessau five gulden notes in a cave near the cattle hut. It is commonly assumed that it was the cave that now bears his name, Goldschmidt Cave, however, it

8778-496: The following days the battle resulted in a defeat for Napoleon, who however was still able to manage a relatively orderly retreat westwards. However, as the French forces were pulling across the White Elster , the bridge was prematurely blown and 30,000 troops were stranded to be taken prisoner by the Allied forces. Napoleon defeated an army of his former ally Bavaria at the Battle of Hanau (30–31 October 1813) before pulling what

8892-421: The ground and stamped it with his foot, ensured that Austria would join the coalition against France. Napoleon did not know it at the time, but the armistice would turn out to be a grave mistake as the Allies gained far more from the suspension of hostilities than he did. Meanwhile, on 21 May 1813, a Swedish corps of 15,000 commanded by General Döbeln occupied Hamburg without orders from Bernadotte, following

9006-409: The highly destabilizing series of wars. Napoleon, expecting to win the war, delayed too long and lost this opportunity; by December the Allies had withdrawn the offer. When his back was to the wall in 1814 he tried to reopen peace negotiations on the basis of accepting the Frankfurt proposals. The Allies now had new, harsher terms that included the retreat of France to its 1791 boundaries, which meant

9120-517: The illegal trade with the United Kingdom from Sweden, which was in violation of the Continental System. Swedish estates were confiscated and Swedish officers and soldiers were taken as prisoners. In response, Charles John, formerly French Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte , now the Crown Prince and Regent of Sweden, declared neutrality, and though Sweden was still at war with Britain, and Russia

9234-565: The independent command of Sweden's Crown Prince Carl Johan; and the Army of Bohemia , the primary Allied force in the field, with which the Allied sovereigns Alexander, Francis and Frederick William oversaw the Campaign, numbering 225,000 Austrians, Russians, and Prussians commanded by Prince Karl von Schwarzenberg . Following the end of the armistice, Napoleon seemed to have regained the initiative at Dresden (26–27 August 1813), where he inflicted one of

9348-417: The land is predominantly used for agriculture. The mountain looks like an elongated summit plateau running north-to-south for about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), with a width of up to 400 metres (1,300 ft) from west-to-east. It has an area of some twelve hectares and rises about 100 metres (330 ft) above the surrounding countryside. The actual summit lies in the southern part of the plateau. The edge of

9462-514: The largest battle in European history before World War I . Ultimately, Napoleon's earlier setbacks in Spain, Portugal and Russia proved to be the seeds of his undoing. With their armies reorganized, the allies drove Napoleon out of Germany in 1813 and invaded France in 1814. The Allies defeated the remaining French armies, occupied Paris, and forced Napoleon to abdicate and go into exile. The French monarchy

9576-590: The largest battles of the Napoleonic Wars to that point in time. The lack of horses for Napoleon's cavalry did not allow him to follow up his victories with a vigorous pursuit, robbing him of decisive results. Despite losing as many men as the Allies, Napoleon's victories had greatly demoralized the Prussians and Russians. Losses were heavy, and the Russian and Prussian forces were a shambles. Both Allied armies were in dire need of substantial reinforcements en route from

9690-531: The last French troops had left Russian soil, and Paris' allies were seriously considering rebellion and joining the Tsar's side. The Convention of Tauroggen was a truce signed 30 December 1812 at Tauroggen between Generalleutnant Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg on behalf of his Prussian troops (who had been compelled to augment the Grande Armée during the invasion of Russia), and by General Hans Karl von Diebitsch of

9804-464: The long -, medium and shortwave range, first after World War II with introduction of radio services in UHF/VHF-range required towers only acting as antenna carriers, radio towers with observation decks built. For this the closed reinforced concrete construction way was nearly always used. Radio towers with observation decks often serve for TV transmission or for radio relay link services and are called therefore usually TV tower or telecommunication tower. As

9918-488: The loss of Belgium and the Rhineland. Napoleon adamantly refused. Following the Battle of Leipzig , Bernadotte and his Army of the North parted ways with the rest of the Coalition armies, and liberated Bremen and Lübeck in late November 1813. In early December, Bernadotte launched his long projected invasion of Denmark to secure the Coalition's northern flank prior to the invasion of France scheduled for early 1814 and to see

10032-416: The loss of which Napoleon believed would knock Prussia out of the War. However, Ney blundered into a trap set by Bernadotte and was stopped cold by the Prussians, and then routed when the Crown Prince arrived with his Swedes and a Russian corps on their open flank. This second defeat at the hands of Napoleon's ex-Marshal was catastrophic for the French, with them losing 50 cannon, four Eagles and 10,000 men on

10146-549: The most important steps being the first ascents of the Nordturm in 1900 and the Barbarine in 1905. Another easy trail up to the Pfaffenstein, the Klammweg , was blazed in 1913. An indication of the popularity of the hill was the visit in 1915 of the Saxon king, Frederick Augustus III , who climbed the Pfaffenstein with his daughters and stopped by at the hilltop inn. After being damaged by

10260-515: The most lop-sided losses of the era on the Prussian-Russian-Austrian forces. On 26 August, the Allies under Prince von Schwarzenberg attacked the French garrison in Dresden. Napoleon arrived on the battlefield in the early hours of 27 August with the Guard and other reinforcements and despite being severely outnumbered having only 135,000 men to the Coalition's 215,000, Napoleon chose to attack

10374-429: The mountain for the Königstein senior forester. The local farmers last used the hill as a place of concealment during wartime in 1813, in this case the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon . Even caves like the Kuhstall Cave must have been used as secret hideaways. However, apart from wartime, the Pfaffenstein had few visitors and those were mainly the electorate's appointed hunters who are probably responsible for

10488-534: The mountain. Since the early 20th century the massif of the Pfaffenstein has been used for rock climbing and, with its 32 rocks, is one of the most important climbing areas in Saxon Switzerland . The best-known rock and symbol of the Pfaffenstein is the Barbarine , a 43-metre-high (141 ft) rock pinnacle , that has been placed out of bounds to climbers since 1975 due to serious erosion damage. The Pfaffenstein lies about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of

10602-400: The old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Russian forces fell back, destroying everything potentially of use to the invaders until giving battle at Borodino (7 September) where the two armies fought a devastating battle. Despite the fact that France won a tactical victory, the battle was inconclusive. Following the battle the Russians withdrew, thus opening the road to Moscow . By 14 September,

10716-463: The origin of the Barbarine rock pinnacle, according to which a woman sent her daughter to church on Sundays. However, when she caught her picking bilberries on the Pfaffenstein instead, the mother cursed her daughter, turning her to stone. The plateau of the Pfaffenstein had already been settled by about 3,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations unearthed both Stone Age and Bronze Age artefacts of

10830-566: The ownership of the association. The observation tower was reopened again in 1995 after renovation. On 26 June 1997 the nature reserve created in 1990 was further extended. Several places of interest may now only be accessed for sport climbing, including the Dom , the Königsgarten and the Nasse Schlucht . Observation tower An observation tower is a structure used to view events from

10944-417: The prospect platform can be open or in a closed room. An open platform is more favourable for photographing, since no reflexes at the disk arise, while closed platforms are for many visitors more pleasant. Prospect outlooks on TV towers are opened only at certain times and their entrance is possible only under payment of an admission fee. Also numerous highrise buildings have observation decks , sometimes even

11058-505: The pylons of suspension bridges were already observation decks installed, as the example of Nový Most in Bratislava shows. A very unusual observation tower is Pont basculant de la Seyne-sur-Mer . It was once a bascule bridge, now permanently put upright and used as observation tower. In Germany, observation towers first appeared on the countryside at the end of the 18th century. These early towers were often built by wealthy aristocrats . It

11172-413: The rampart. The Pfaffenstein was first mentioned in the records in 1548: the official probate register of Pirna recording in that year the right of Pfaffendorf farmers to use the Pfaffenstein for grazing and wood gathering. The Pfaffenstein was also used in times of war by the villagers of Pfaffendorf as a refuge and hideaway for their cattle. During the Swedish invasion of 1706 a small hut was erected on

11286-468: The sabers and lances of Murat's Cuirassiers and Lancers who tore the Austrians to shreds, capturing 15 standards and forcing the balance of three divisions, 13,000 men, to surrender. The Allies were forced to retreat in some disorder having lost nearly 40,000 men to only 10,000 French. However, Napoleon's forces were also hampered by the weather and unable to close the encirclement the Emperor had planned before

11400-540: The same time the French sustained several serious defeats, first at the hands of Bernadotte's Army of the North on 23 August, with Oudinot's thrust towards Berlin beaten back by the Prussians, at Großbeeren . At the Katzbach the Prussians, commanded by Blücher, took advantage of Napoleon's march toward Dresden to attack Marshal MacDonald's Army of the Bober. During a torrential rainstorm on 26 August, and due to conflicting orders and

11514-583: The side of the Allies. Meanwhile, Austria's alliance with France ended in February 1813, and Austria then moved to a position of armed neutrality. It would not declare war on France until half a year later, in August 1813. On 3 March 1813, after lengthy negotiations, the United Kingdom agreed to Swedish claims to Norway. Sweden entered a military alliance with the United Kingdom and declared war against France, liberating Swedish Pomerania shortly thereafter. On 17 March, King Frederick William III of Prussia published

11628-414: The suggestion of Jäckel. It was replaced in 1891 by a stone building on the site of the present hilltop restaurant. The Widow Ulbrich sold the inn in 1895 to the Keiler family, who ran it for three generations until 1990. Hermann Keiler extended the inn between 1897 and 1904, giving it its present appearance. Until 1912 everything had to be laboriously carried up the hill, as a result it was decided to build

11742-667: The treaty guarantees over the Danish cession of Norway to Sweden enforced. Bernadotte's Army, now some 65,000, composed only of Swedish, North German and Russian troops following the secondment of the Prussian troops to Blücher's army, attacked the Royal Danish Army in Holstein . In a lightning campaign of only two weeks the Swedes subdued the Danes. General Anders Skjöldebrand defeated the Danes at Bornhöved on 7 December 1813. Three days later,

11856-404: The village of Pfaffendorf in the borough of Königstein. Another nearby settlement is Cunnersdorf about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southeast. Its nearest neighbour is the 349.6-metre-high (1,147 ft) Quirl to the northwest, another table hill. To the south, the mountain is surrounded by woods that drop away to the stream of Cunnersdorfer Bach . Around the northern part of the Pfaffenstein

11970-406: The war and a break in the fighting would give them time to negotiate with Vienna. Another victory by Napoleon may very well have led to a favorable peace as not only were the Russians and Prussians at their nadir, but the Austrians, with their 150,000 troops would have seen a decisive French victory as ample proof that another war with France would be most undesirable. Despite the two victories over

12084-657: Was also used. At nearly all these towers access to the observation deck , usually at a height of between 5 and 40 metres, is only possible by way of stairs. Most of these towers are used only for tourism, however some of these towers might also be used, at times of high forest fire risk, as fire observation posts or in times of war as military observation posts with anti-aircraft positions placed beside it. Further uses were not intended at most of these buildings, although some of these towers today now carry antennas for police/fire engine radios, portable radio or low power FM- and TV-transmitters. Older observation towers frequently have

12198-479: Was gradually made more accessible. An unknown visitor in 1863 had a stone bench hewn out of a rock. In 1878/1879 Carl Gottlob Jäckel established the first relatively accessible trail roughly along the line of the present day Bequemer Aufstieg . In order to be able to cater for visitors, in 1880 Paul Ulbrich, the innkeeper of the Pfaffendorf Inn, built a new summer restaurant on the site of the old hut, once again at

12312-407: Was inaugurated on 2 September 1894 and offered a comprehensive all-round view from the Pfaffenstein, unimpeded by trees. Its construction was funded by the widow, Mrs Ulbrich. Because the tower had become dilapidated, the new tenant, Hermann Keiler, had it torn down in 1904 and replaced by a new structure made of sandstone. Under the direction of master builder Naumann from Königstein the new tower

12426-437: Was its perennial enemy, he dispatched diplomats to London and St. Petersburg to create a new coalition against France. Sweden then signed the secret Treaty of Saint Petersburg with Russia against France and Denmark–Norway on 5 April 1812. On 18 July 1812, the Treaty of Örebro formally ended the wars between Britain and Sweden and Britain and Russia , forming the basis of coalition between Russia, Britain, and Sweden, though

12540-578: Was left of his forces back into France. Meanwhile, Davout's corps continued to hold out in its Siege of Hamburg , where it became the last Imperial field force east of the Rhine . The Allies offered peace terms in the Frankfurt proposals in November 1813. Napoleon would remain as Emperor of France, but it would be reduced to its "natural frontiers". That meant that France could retain control of Belgium , Savoy and

12654-510: Was not until the mid-19th century that citizens took control of the construction of such towers. In Austria and Switzerland many observation towers were established by alpine and tourist associations, and continue to be cared for by them. In the Waldigen Mountains , many citizen committees were active. Because of the long reign of emperor Franz Joseph , many observation decks carry the name "anniversary observation platform". The invention of

12768-492: Was ready by the spring. The requisite stone was cut on the site during the winter; all other materials, such as limestone, roof slates, windows and doors had to be painstakingly carried up the hill. On 7 August 1904 the 29-metre-high (95 ft) tower was consecrated by the priest, Hoyer, from Königstein. To improve access, the Nadelöhr was opened in 1897. About the same time the hill began to be used for recreational climbing,

12882-610: Was revived by the allies, who handed rule to the heir of the House of Bourbon in the Bourbon Restoration . The "Hundred Days" War of the Seventh Coalition was triggered in 1815 when Napoleon escaped from his captivity on Elba and returned to power in France. He was defeated again for the final time at Waterloo , ending the Napoleonic Wars . In June 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia to compel Emperor Alexander I to remain in

12996-399: Was the signal for the King of Bavaria to proclaim neutrality and begin negotiations with the Austrians (on the basis of territorial guarantees and Maximilian's retention of his crown) in preparation of joining the Allied cause. A body of Saxon troops had defected to Bernadotte's Army during the battle and Westphalian troops were now deserting King Jérôme 's army in large numbers. Following

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