1882: Offenbach Beautification Association crowns the Bieberer Berg
Public construction projects are always more expensive than estimated. This is not a new phenomenon, it has always been the case. When the observation tower on Bieberer Berg was completed in the 19th century, it cost 7,500 marks to build. The estimate was 1,500.
At a height of 24 meters, it stretches skywards at Offenbach's highest point. Bieberer Berg towers 128 meters above sea level. Three districts border each other at the tower: Bieber, Bürgel and Rumpenheim. The people of Bürgel and Rumpenheim argue about which of the two districts the tower stands on. It is certainly not on Bieber land, but the people of Bieber couldn't care less. Because it stands on Bieberer Berg, they call it the Bieber observation tower. But it was built by the people of Offenbach, albeit outside the city limits.
Since 1880, there had been a "beautification association" in the town, in which civic spirit was bundled into activities. Its program included the development and maintenance of footpaths, the erection of benches and shelters and the construction of a viewing tower. People lived in a time without cars and television. It was not the world that could be experienced, but our closer home, which is no longer enough for us today.
The time had come in 1882. The inauguration was celebrated on Offenbach's highest tower. The Eintracht music society played the chorale and the Polyhymnia sang. Forty towns and villages could be seen from the tower platform, enthused the newspaper, all the land between the Taunus and Vogelsberg, between the Melibokus in the Odenwald and the Spessart heights near Miltenberg.
The beautification association did not exist for long. In 1922, it was taken over by the Offenbach Hiking Association. In 1943, the city of Offenbach took it over. Older citizens remember that you could buy admission and access to the tower from a doorkeeper. It cost a few pfennigs.
In 1954, the town was able to lease the tower to a man from Bieber. He then ran a restaurant where you could get the key to climb the tower. But this did not last too long. Visitors became increasingly rare. The tower fell into disrepair. At times it was not accessible at all. In 1961, the Offenbach-Post called it a stepchild of the city.
Three years later, the newspaper complained about the state of the almost forgotten tower: "The wind blows through the barred windows and the footsteps on the steps sound hollow. Today, when boys race around the tower on their bikes or mopeds, the tower looks a little surprised. Its existence should actually fulfill a different purpose."
The tower on Bieberer Berg is a testament to civic spirit and love of one's homeland. Civic spirit has also revived it. In 1983, the association "Die Offenbacher 03" and the Eintracht music club took over sponsorship of the tower. They took care of its maintenance. And every summer, they make it the center of social events. Their visitors may come from Offenbach, Bürgel or Rumpenheim: On a day like this, they all become Bieberers without even thinking about whether they are on Bieber soil.
By Lothar R. Braun
Published in the Offenbach Post (opens in a new tab)
