Messe Berlin Celebrates: Berlin Radio Tower Turns 100 Years Old

<p>Nicknamed "Tall Dope", it is both a landmark and a visitor magnet: The Berlin Radio Tower celebrates its 100th birthday in 2026. Messe Berlin, which owns the steel lattice tower on its grounds, is using the jubilee for a large-scale campaign – including a spectacular light installation.</p>

<h2>A Landmark with a Long History</h2> <p>The Berlin Radio Tower was opened on September 3, 1926 for the 3rd Major German Radio Exhibition and is thus, as Wikipedia states, <strong>43 years older than the Berlin Television Tower</strong> at Alexanderplatz. The 146.7-meter-high steel lattice tower was designed by architect Heinrich Straumer. Since 1966, the structure has been under monument protection and has since been considered one of the defining landmarks of the city.</p> <p>The colloquial name "Tall Dope" was common until the 1970s and is still used today in media and tourism advertising according to Wikipedia, even though it has become less common among Berliners themselves. The tower's history was not always clear: In 1935, its original transmitting equipment was destroyed, but the Nazis later used the tower as a symbol of technological progress at radio exhibitions, where, among other things, the People's Radio was presented.</p>

<h2>"What the Funk" – Messe Berlin's Jubilee Campaign</h2> <p>For the round birthday, Messe Berlin has come up with something special for its "oldest colleague", as stated in the official announcement: the campaign <strong>"What the Funk"</strong>. The name deliberately plays with language and Berlin humor and combines the name of the radio tower with a pop-cultural twist – self-ironic and eye-catching, as described in the Messe blog.</p> <p>The centerpiece of the campaign is a light installation that lets the radio tower shine anew with modern LED technology. Starting <strong>March 20, 2026</strong>, Messe Berlin officially launches the jubilee program. The light show will be presented throughout the jubilee year on selected occasions – including trade shows and congresses at the Berlin exhibition grounds as well as further events in summer and fall.</p>

<h3>Renovation as Preparation for the Jubilee</h3> <p>In preparation for the jubilee, the landmark was renovated, which is why the restaurant and viewing platform were temporarily inaccessible. These measures apparently served to make the tower technically and visually fit for its jubilee year – after all, the "old steel giant", as Messe Berlin affectionately calls it, should continue to serve as a landmark of the city for decades to come.</p>

<h2>Why the Jubilee is Relevant for the Trade Fair Industry</h2> <p>For Messe Berlin, the radio tower is much more than a historic building: It is inextricably linked to the history of the exhibition grounds and the radio exhibitions that once presented technical innovations like the People's Radio and early televisions to a broad public. With the "What the Funk" campaign, Messe Berlin deliberately connects to this tradition – as a place where technology, culture, and city identity come together.</p> <p>The technical literature on the tower is accordingly extensive: Publications already appeared for the 65th and 70th birthdays, documenting the significance of the structure for Berlin and radio technology. The fact that the 100th anniversary is now followed by another comprehensive festival program underscores the importance that the radio tower continues to hold for the city and Messe Berlin.</p>

<h2>Conclusion and Outlook</h2> <p>With the "What the Funk" campaign, Messe Berlin achieves a successful balancing act between tradition and modern staging. The Berlin Radio Tower, once simply called "Tall Dope", becomes a glowing stage for the messages of the capital in the jubilee year 2026. Anyone who visits the tower in the coming months or experiences a trade fair at the Berlin grounds will likely see the new light show live – a visible sign of how much history and present intertwine in Berlin.</p>