The history of the Eiffel Tower

"I am building for Paris, for France, for the world, this tower is made of steel. It will be the tallest tower in the world," said engineer Gustave Eiffel, designer of the famous Parisian building.

The tower, which took its name from the designer Gustave Eiffel, was created on the occasion of the world exhibition, which was organized on the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution of 1789. The building was to be a symbol of the economic and scientific-technical power of France at that time.
March 31, 1889 Eiffel hung out the French flag on the finished building.

- This tower for me is neither aesthetic nor beautiful and does not speak to me. I prefer old stone buildings. This is a monstrous sculpture - says a Polish resident of Polish Radio.

The dispute over the tower

Its construction divided France into two camps. Writer Guy de Maupassant has never forgiven the government's decision, he was so fierce that when his protests did not succeed, he publicly stated: "I am leaving France and Paris, the Eiffel Tower is too much for my nerves".

Protests against the ridicule of Paris were written by theater people, composers and writers. Residents of the surrounding streets and squares made numerous petitions to the government, in which they demanded "immediately stop this risky construction" and asked "who will be responsible for the death of innocent people, when this monstrous colossus will collapse?".

A miracle of steel

The tower's construction consists of about 18 thousand metal parts and nearly 2.5 million rivets. The total mass is 9,000 tons of iron, and the height is 300 meters. Depending on the temperature fluctuations, the tower, according to the laws of physics, grows or decreases around 16 cm.

Its construction was kept in great secrecy. Gustave Eiffel - an engineer, builder of bridges, architect and builder initially planned to build a much higher tower.

- I am building for Paris, for France, for this world this tower is made of steel. It will be the highest tower in the world. The official project is 300 m high. This is the number I set with the government so as not to frighten them, it will eventually be much higher - announced the engineer.

Symbol of Paris

For 41 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world. This changed in 1930, when the New York skyscraper Chrysler Building was erected.

Although initially the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be temporary, today it is one of the most known and most visited buildings in the world. Every year, tourists come to France, wanting to see the symbol of Paris with their own eyes. Since the opening, the tower has been visited by over 220 million people.