Bremerhaven's container observation tower built from 12 repurposed containers

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Containers used in international shipping are rarely reused. Shipping an empty container is too expensive and just takes up space. Although many companies are already concerned with the sensible further use of these containers, many of them still end up on the scrap heap. In the 1970s almost all containers were not reused.

In Bremerhaven they came up with the idea of putting at least some of the containers to a new, meaningful use. The association „Verkehrsverein Bremerhaven-Wesermünde“ collected money and containers from more than 30 firms. A support structure was built and 12 containers were used to erect a viewing tower with a 78 m² covered viewing platform. This lookout tower was made available to the public in 1979. The viewing platform is equipped with binoculars, maps and explanation boards.

Since, for security reasons, it is normally not possible to enter a container terminal, the observation tower offers a unique insight into everyday life in a container terminal. But not only that, because from here you can overlook the car terminal, the cruise terminal, the shipyard and locks. The north lock in particular is easy to see and you can observe how the lock process works. You can overlook practically the entire harbor and thus also the shipping traffic of all the big ocean liners that anchor here.

The container terminal offers another very special view. Endless rows of containers characterize the picture between the Weser and the horizon. The stilt-legged loading vehicles rank in between. The longest contiguous container quay in the world can be found in Wilhelmshaven. The containers are stacked in rows over a length of more than 5 km.