Spanischer Turm

The Spanischer Turm stands on the western edge of Darmstadt’s Oberfeld, part of the Rosenhöhe park. It was built in 1853–54 for Prince Karl of Hesse-Darmstadt by architect Balthasar Harres. The tower served as a viewing platform and teahouse for the grand duke and his court. Two smaller side wings were added in 1891. For many decades it stood empty until the BS Kulturstiftung took it over in 2020. The restored building now houses the Skulpturengarten Spanischer Turm on a 5,500-square-metre site. The garden presents annual exhibitions by well-known sculptors such as Wilhelm Loth, Vera Röhm and Tony Cragg. The tower itself is protected as a cultural monument for its architectural and city-history value. Former resident Johannes Koch, the park’s tree warden, lived there in the 1930s and 1940s. Visitors walk through the sculpture garden around the tower and its two side wings. Changing displays of modern sculpture occupy the open grounds. The tower’s viewing platform offers views over the park and the city. Inside, the restored teahouse rooms recall its original use. The park’s paths lead on to other parts of the Rosenhöhe.