![Paternoster at Spaarneplein 2, The Hague, The Netherlands](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Paternoster_at_Spaarneplein_2%2C_The_Hague%2C_The_Netherlands.jpg)
A paternoster (, , or ) or paternoster lift is a passenger
elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
which consists of a chain of open compartments (each usually designed for two people) that move slowly in a
loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
up and down inside a building without stopping. Passengers can step on or off at any floor they like. The same technique is also used for
filing cabinet
A filing cabinet (or sometimes file cabinet in American English) is a piece of office furniture for storing paper documents in file folders. In the most simple context, it is an enclosure for drawers in which items are stored. The two most commo ...
s to store large amounts of (paper) documents or for small spare parts. The much smaller
belt manlift
A belt manlift or manlift is a device for moving passengers between floors of a building. It is a simple belt with steps or platforms and handholds rather than an elevator with cars. Its design is similar to that of a paternoster lift. The belt is ...
, which consists of an endless belt with steps and rungs but no compartments, is also sometimes called a paternoster.
The name ''paternoster'' ("Our Father", the first two words of the
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...
in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
) was originally applied to the device because the elevator is in the form of a loop and is thus similar to
rosary beads
The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...
used as an aid in reciting prayers.
The construction of new paternosters was stopped in the mid-1970s out of concern for safety, but public sentiment has kept many of the remaining examples open. By far, most remaining paternosters are in Europe, with 230 examples in Germany and 68 in Czechia. Only three have been identified outside Europe: one in Malaysia, one in Sri Lanka and another in Peru.
History
Peter Ellis installed the first elevators that could be described as paternoster lifts in
Oriel Chambers
Oriel Chambers is an office building located on Water Street near the town hall in Liverpool, England. It was the world's first building featuring a metal framed glass curtain wall, which has since become a defining feature of skyscrapers aro ...
in Liverpool in 1868. Another was used in 1876 to transport parcels at the
General Post Office
The General Post Office (GPO) was the state postal system and telecommunications carrier of the United Kingdom until 1969. Before the Acts of Union 1707, it was the postal system of the Kingdom of England, established by Charles II in 1660. ...
in London. In 1877, British engineer Peter Hart obtained a patent on the first paternoster.
In 1884, the engineering firm of
J & E Hall
J & E Hall is an English manufacturer of refrigeration equipment (today part of the Daikin group). It was originally established as an iron works in Dartford, Kent in 1785, with products including papermaking machines, steam engines and gun carria ...
of
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and
is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...
, Kent, installed its first "Cyclic Elevator", using Hart's patent, in a London office block.
The newly built Dovenhof in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
was inaugurated in 1886. The prototype of the Hamburg office buildings equipped with the latest technology also had a paternoster. This first system outside of Great Britain already had the technology that would later become common, but was still driven by steam power like the British systems.
The highest paternoster lift in the world was located in Stuttgart in the 16-floor
Tagblatt tower, which was completed in 1927.
Paternosters were popular throughout the first half of the 20th century because they could carry more passengers than ordinary elevators. They were more common in continental Europe, especially in public buildings, than in the United Kingdom. They are relatively slow elevators, typically travelling at about 30 cm per second (approx. 1 ft per second), to facilitate getting on and off.
Safety
Paternoster elevators are intended only for transporting people. Accidents have occurred when they have been misused for transporting bulky items, such as ladders or library trolleys.
The risk involved is estimated as 30 times higher than conventional elevators. A representative of the Union of
Technical Inspection Associations stated that Germany saw an average of one death per year prior to 2002, at which point many paternosters were made inaccessible to the general public.
The construction of new paternosters is no longer allowed in many countries, such as Germany, because of the high risk of accident for people who cannot use them properly. In 2012, an 81-year-old man was killed when he fell into the shaft of a paternoster in the Dutch city of
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
. Elderly people, disabled people and children are most vulnerable.
In September 1975, the paternoster in
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
's Claremont Tower was taken out of service after a passenger was killed when a car left its guide rail at the top of its journey and forced the two cars ascending behind it into the winding room above.
In October 1988 a second, non-fatal accident occurred in the same lift. A conventional lift replaced it in 1989–1990.
In West Germany, new paternoster installations were banned in 1974, and in 1994 there was an attempt to shut down all existing installations.
However, there was a wave of popular resistance to the ban, and to a similar attempt in 2015.
, Germany had 231 paternosters.
In April 2006,
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
announced plans for a modern paternoster-style elevator with computer-controlled cars and standard elevator doors to alleviate safety concerns. A prototype was revealed . In 2009, Solon received special permission to build a brand new paternoster in its Berlin headquarters.
Surviving examples
Austria
* In Vienna, the
Vienna City Hall
Vienna City Hall (German: ''Wiener Rathaus'') is the seat of local government of Vienna, located on Rathausplatz in the Innere Stadt district. Constructed from 1872 to 1883 in a Neo-Gothic style according to plans designed by Friedrich von Sch ...
, the
Ringturm
Ringturm (Ring Tower) is a prominent skyscraper in Vienna, Austria, and is the headquarters of the Vienna Insurance Group. It was built from 1953 to 1955 after a design by Erich Boltenstern at the Schottenring. The tower is tall, with of office ...
(headquarters of the
Vienna Insurance Group
Vienna Insurance Group AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe (VIG) with its registered office in Vienna, Austria, is one of the largest international insurance groups in Central and Eastern Europe with approximately 25,000 employees.
History
History ...
), an office building at Trattnerhof 2 near Stephansplatz and Haus der Industrie on Schwartzenbergplatz have the last four running and frequently used paternosters in the city. The university also had one or more.
* In
Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
, the Headquarters of the energy company Kelag still have one paternoster active for daily use.
Belgium
* A paternoster lift dating from 1958 survives in
Avenue Fonsny
The Avenue Fonsny (French) or Fonsnylaan ( Dutch) is a major street in the Saint-Gilles municipality of Brussels, Belgium, connecting the / on the south-west of the Small Ring to the municipality of Forest. It is continued in Forest by the ...
47,
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, a currently disused office building forming part of
Midi/Zuid railway station.
* At the ''Huis van de Vlaamse Volksvertegenwoordigers'' (House of Flemish Representatives), previously the Postcheque Building, at Leuvenseweg/Rue de Louvain 86, the paternoster is operational but not used.
Czechia
*
Prague City Hall
Prague City Hall (Czech Republic, Czech: ''Magistrát hlavního města Prahy'') is the Municipality, municipal and Regional municipality, regional office of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is formed by the Chief Executive of Prague C ...
has an early 20th century paternoster renovated in 2017
* In
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, Czech Technical University – Faculty of Electrotechnical Engineering at Technická 2, Dejvice
* In Prague, Charles University -–Faculty of Law
* In Prague,
Ministry of Transport (Czech Republic)
The Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic () is a government Ministry (government department), ministry, which was established in 1969.
Its head office is in Prague 1,[Ministry of Agriculture (Czech Republic)
The Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic () is a government ministry.
External links
*
Czech Republic
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key developm ...]
* In Prague,
Lucerna Palace
Lucerna Palace (Czech: ''Palác Lucerna'') is an entertainment and shopping complex in the New Town quarter of Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest cit ...
(near the southeast entrance)
* In Prague,
Czech Radio
Český rozhlas (ČRo) is the public radio broadcaster of the Czech Republic operating since 1923. It is the oldest radio broadcaster in continental Europe and the second oldest in Europe after the BBC.
The service broadcasts throughout the Cz ...
building (oldest paternoster lift in the Czech Republic, not publicly accessible)
* In Brno, Brno Technical University – Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Technická 2896/2
* In Brno, Brno Municipality – Malinovského nám. 624/3
* In
Most
Most or Möst or ''variation'', may refer to:
Places
* Most, Kardzhali Province, a village in Bulgaria
* Most (city), a city in the Czech Republic
** Most District, a district surrounding the city
** Most Basin, a lowland named after the city
** A ...
, Business centrum, tř. Budovatelů 2957
* In the offices of
Czech Post
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
at
Brno railway station
Brno main railway station ( cs, Brno hlavní nádraží, abbreviated as ''Brno hl. n.'') is the principal railway station in Brno, the largest city in Moravia and the second largest in the Czech Republic. The railway station is situated in the c ...
, (returned to use in 2013, after being out of service for six years)
* In
Jablonec nad Nisou
Jablonec nad Nisou (; german: Gablonz an der Neiße) is a city in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 45,000 inhabitants. It is the second-largest city in the region. It is a local centre for education, and is known for its glass ...
, city hall built in 1933
* In Ostrava's
New Town Hall built in 1930
* In Liberec, Liberec Regional Office building build in 1971, highest paternoster in Czechia (56.8 m high and has 35 wooden cabins)
Denmark
* In the
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...
where the Danish parliament resides
* At
Vognmagergade 8. Today the building is used by KVUC
Københavns VUC(Copenhagen's adult-education center)
* In the corporate office building
Axelborg
Axelborg, located across the street from Tivoli Gardens on Vesterbrogade in Copenhagen, Denmark, is home to the Danish Agriculture and Food Council. DLG Group is also headquartered in the building. The building was built in 1920 and was originally ...
, located in central Copenhagen
* In
Frederiksberg Town Hall
* In the 11-story main administrative building at
Danfoss
Danfoss is a Danish multinational company, based in Denmark, with more than 40,043 employees globally. Danfoss was founded in 1933 by engineer Mads Clausen.
History Beginning (1933–1966)
In 1933 Mads Clausen (1905–1966) founded ''Dansk ...
headquarters on the island of
Als
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...
* In the hospital in
Vejle
Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality ('' kommune'') and the R ...
* Sydvestjysk Hospital in Esbjerg
Finland
![Paternoster Eduskuntatalo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Paternoster_Eduskuntatalo.jpg)
The following locations have paternosters:
* In
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
, Town hall in Yliopistonkatu 27
* In
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, in the office building at Hämeentie 19
* In Helsinki, at
Eduskunta
The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The ...
, the parliament of Finland at Mannerheimintie 30, accessible to the representative members of parliament only
* In Helsinki, in
Stockmann, Helsinki centre
Stockmann Helsinki Centre is a culturally significant business building and department store located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. It is one of many department stores owned by the Stockmann corporation. It is the largest department store ...
at Aleksanterinkatu 52, accessible to staff only
Germany
* In
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
, the State Parliament building for the state of
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...
has had a working paternoster since 1950.
* In
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
, the city hall has had a paternoster in use for over 100 years.
* In
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, the offices of the alt-left newspaper ''
Neues Deutschland
''Neues Deutschland'' (''nd''; en, New Germany, sometimes stylized in lowercase letters) is a left-wing German daily newspaper, headquartered in Berlin.
For 43 years it was the official party newspaper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany ...
'' contain a working paternoster (), while those of the conservative tabloid ''
Bild
''Bild'' (or ''Bild-Zeitung'', ; ) is a German tabloid newspaper published by Axel Springer SE. The paper is published from Monday to Saturday; on Sundays, its sister paper ''Bild am Sonntag'' ("''Bild on Sunday''") is published instead, which ...
'' contain a 19-storey paternoster
that is still in use but not open to the public. The
Rathaus Schöneberg
Rathaus Schöneberg is the city hall for the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg in Berlin. From 1949 until 1990 it served as the seat of the state senate of West Berlin and from 1949 until 1991 as the seat of the Governing Mayor.
History
The sa ...
, including scenes with its paternoster elevator, were used to film the TV series
Babylon Berlin
''Babylon Berlin'' is a German neo-noir television series. Created, written, and directed by Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries, and Hendrik Handloegten. It is loosely based on novels by German author Volker Kutscher.
The series premiered on 13 O ...
.
* In the Axel-Springer-Hochhaus in Berlin paternosters are in use.
* In the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin another paternoster is in use.
* Berlin's Flughafen Tempelhof through at least 1967 (when it shared an identity as Tempelhof Air Base) had at least 1 fully-functional paternoster in the tower on the left end (as seen from the Luftbrückeplatz) of the quarter-circular pre-WW2 building.
*
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
has a paternoster in the
Bremen Cotton Exchange, at Wachtstraße 17-24, just off the market square.
* In
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, the building at 25 Deichstraße, Speicherstadt, has an operating paternoster, the Bezirksamt at Grindelberg 62–66 in Eimsbüttel and Hapag Lloyd building in Balindamm street also have a working Paternoster. As well as the building at Stadthausebrücke 8.
* In
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, the building at Hansaring 97 has a working and in-use paternoster.
* In
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, the former
IG Farben Building
The IG Farben Building – also known as the Poelzig Building and the Abrams Building, formerly informally called The Pentagon of Europe – is a building complex in Frankfurt, Germany, which currently serves as the main structure of the West ...
has running and frequently used paternosters as seen in the movies "Berlin Express" (1948) and "Night People" (1954).
* In
Jena
Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...
, a paternoster is in use at the headquarters of
Jenapharm
Jenapharm is a pharmaceutical company from Jena, Germany. Founded in 1950 in East Germany, the company focused from the beginning on the production and development of steroids. Due to the economic circumstances of the Eastern Bloc, the company ini ...
.
* In
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
, a paternoster is still in use at the headquarters of
Wintershall Dea
Wintershall Dea GmbH is a German gas and oil producer. The joint venture was created in May 2019 by the merger between Wintershall Holding GmbH and DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG. BASF SE has a 67% stake in it, with the other 33% being held by LetterO ...
* In
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, a paternoster is still in use at city hall (Stuttgart Rathaus).
* In
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
, a paternoster is still in use at city hall (Leipzig Neues Rathaus)
Hungary
* In Jahn Ferenc hospital in Budapest.
* In
Miskolc
Miskolc ( , , ; Czech language, Czech and sk, Miškovec; german: Mischkolz; yi, script=Latn, Mishkoltz; ro, Mișcolț) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 (1 Jan 2014) Miskolc is the ...
, the
University of Miskolc
The University of Miskolc (before 1990: ''Technical University of Heavy Industry'') is the largest university of Northern Hungary.
Location
Most of the buildings can be found in Egyetemváros ("University Town"), a part of the city of Miskolc. I ...
, has a working and in-use paternoster.
* In the central office of National Tax and Duty Administration Budapest.
* In the headquarters of BKV
Budapesti Közlekedési Zrt.
Budapesti Közlekedési Zrt. or BKV Zrt. ("Budapest Transit Company", the abbreviation BKV stands for its earlier name Budapesti Közlekedési Vállalat) is the main public transport operator in Budapest, Hungary. BKV was established in 1968 as a ...
in Budapest. (operating in 2020)
* In the Ministry of Education in Budapest (operating and in daily use in March 2022).
* In Kiskun County Hospital, Kecskemét
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, seven paternoster lifts could be found in 2012, some of which were still operational:
* In the former Ziggo building at Spaarneplein 2,
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
: no longer in use. (Stork Hijsch 1922, conversion 1976 Starlift, damage repair 1999 Schindler.) On 13 April 2012, a fatal accident occurred when an 81-year-old man was trapped between the lift and the wall.
* At the Dudokhuis, Tata Steel Europe in
IJmuiden
IJ_(digraph).html" ;"title="n IJ (digraph)">n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. >
IJmuiden () is a port city in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality ...
: shut down in 1999. (Eggers Kehrhan, 1957):
* In the HaKa building (the old head office of the Coöperatieve Groothandelsvereniging 'de Handelskamer') on the Vierhavenstraat in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
. This 1936 Hensen-Schindler lift has been operational again since the end of 2011, although the building is empty. For safety reasons, the lift can only be visited with the building manager. The lift can be put into operation for interested parties on request.
* In the former tax office on Puntegaalstraat in Rotterdam; it is put into operation during Heritage Days, but may not be used. To enforce this, gates have been built across the entrances. (Backer and Rueb Breda, 1948, conversion December 1975 by De Reus BV.)
* In the former post office on the Coolsingel 42 in Rotterdam: disused.
* Two examples in the
Scheepvaarthuis
The Shipping House ( nl, Scheepvaarthuis) is a building on the western tip of the Waalseiland near Amsterdam harbour that is one of the top 100 Dutch heritage sites and generally regarded as the first true example of the Amsterdam School, a style ...
(now Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam) in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
: working, can be used on request. (Roux Combaluzier, 1928.)
* In the old school building on the Mauritskade in Amsterdam: whether the elevator is still working is unknown.
Poland
*
Building of Silesian Parliament in Katowice.
* In Wrocław, Poland, Santander Bank building, Main Square. Available for employees only.
Russia
* In the building of the
Ministry of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
in Moscow
Serbia
* In
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
in the headquarters building of
Serbian Railways
Serbian Railways ( sr, Железнице Србије/''Železnice Srbije'', abbr. ŽS or ЖС) is a Serbian engineering and technical consulting company based in Belgrade, Serbia.
In 2015, the Government of Serbia established three new compan ...
there is one operating paternoster lift and another one which is not in service.
Slovakia
* In
Bratislava
Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
there are at least 5 operating paternosters: Ministry of Transport and Construction, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the headquarters of Railways of the Slovak Republic.
* In
Košice
Košice ( , ; german: Kaschau ; hu, Kassa ; pl, Коszyce) is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of app ...
, the Technical University of Košice operates a paternoster in the main building called L9 since 1972. There's another paternoster in an administrative building of
U.S.Steel Košice, steel manufacturing company in Košice.
Sri Lanka
*
Ceylon Electricity Board
The Ceylon Electricity Board - CEB ( si, ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලය - ලංවිම, Lankā Vidulibala Mandalaya - Lanwima; ta, இலங்கை மின்சார சபை - இமிச), is the largest el ...
Headquarters building in Colombo
Sweden
* In Sweden there is at least one functional Paternoster lift at HSB-huset, Kungsholmen, Stockholm
United Kingdom
;Current
* The
Arts Tower
The Arts Tower is a building at 12 Bolsover Street in Sheffield, England belonging to the University of Sheffield and opened in 1966. A spokesperson for English Heritage described it as "the most elegant university tower block in Britain of its ...
at the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
has a paternoster, which is said to be the largest in Europe. It has 38 two-person cars and serves 22 storeys. A journey between two floors takes 13 seconds.
* Agenda 2020 – The Albert Sloman Library at the
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...
on the Colchester campus has a working paternoster.
*
Northwick Park Hospital
Northwick Park Hospital (NWPH) is a major National Health Service hospital situated near the town of Harrow, London, Harrow, North West London, managed by the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. It is located off Watford Road in th ...
in Harrow, North West London (part of the
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust is an NHS trust based in London, United Kingdom. The trust was formed by the merger of North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and Ealing Hospital NHS Trusts in October 2014.
The trust runs Northw ...
) has the last working paternoster in London. It had been out of commission for many years until July 2020, when it was reopened for staff use.
;Former
* On 8 December 2017 it was announced that the paternoster in the
Attenborough tower at the
University of Leicester
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_labe ...
which was constructed in 1968–70 would be taken out of service as maintenance had become too expensive. This was undertaken shortly afterwards.
* At the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
, both the main library and the Muirhead Tower had paternosters. The library was demolished in 2017, and replaced with a new library. The paternoster in the Muirhead Tower was closed for many years before a major refurbishment added two new lifts.
* Birmingham Polytechnic (now
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University (abbrev. BCU) is a university in Birmingham, England. Initially established as the Birmingham College of Art with roots dating back to 1843, it was designated as a polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic in 1971 and gai ...
) had a paternoster in the 1970s in the Baker building on its City North Campus at Perry Barr. The building closed in 2018.
* Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies, Summer Row, Birmingham. (now
University College Birmingham
University College Birmingham is a university in Birmingham, England. It was awarded full university status in 2012 along with Newman University. It is not a member of Universities UK. The university was awarded 'University of the Year' in the 2 ...
)
* Birmingham Dental School. The building was demolished during 2020–21
*
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
. The Clare Market Building had a paternoster until 1991
* There was a paternoster in the Co-op's six-storey Fairfax House department store, in Bristol's Broadmead shopping centre. The store opened in March 1962 and was demolished in 1988.
*
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
's Claremont Tower paternoster had a fatal accident in September 1975 after a car left its guide rail at the top of its journey and forced the two cars ascending behind it into the winding room above.
Another accident in 1988 led to its subsequent closure and removal.
*
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. The Pontecorvo Building which housed The Institute of Genetics had a paternoster lift.
*
University of Salford
, caption = Coat of ArmsUniversity of Salford
, mottoeng = "Let us seek higher things"
, established = 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute 1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford 1967 – gained ...
had a tower block that had a paternoster lift. The building has been demolished.
* Risley, Cheshire – Former United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) site, now Birchwood Park Business Park. The original management block 'A Block', and the later engineering building 'E Block'had paternoster lifts. Those in the former E Block survived into the 21st century (sealed off), and may still exist.
* UKAEA Winfrith Heath Dorset 4 floor Administration Building
* Viscount House, a
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...
office building at
Hatton Cross
Hatton including Hatton Cross is a small settlement and locality in the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow, on the south-eastern edge of London Heathrow Airport and straddling the A30 road. Priot to 1965 it was in the county of Middlese ...
.
Now demolished.
Gallery
BMF Paternoster außen.ogv, View of a working paternoster. Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus
The Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus (Detlev Rohwedder House) is a building in Berlin that, at the time of its construction, was the largest office building in Europe. It was constructed between February 1935 and August 1936 to house the German Ministry of ...
, Berlin
BMF Paternoster innen.ogg, View from inside a working paternoster. Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus, Berlin
Wien - Haus der Industrie, Paternoster.JPG, Paternoster in the House of Industry, Vienna (offices of the Federation of Austrian Industries The Federation of Austrian Industries ( de: ''Industriellenvereinigung'', short form IV) is the voluntary and independent representation of interests of Austrian industry
and its related sectors.
The IV maintains a wide net of contacts and relation ...
), built c. 1910
Rathaus, Vienna - paternoster 01.jpg, Paternoster in Vienna City Hall
Vienna City Hall (German: ''Wiener Rathaus'') is the seat of local government of Vienna, located on Rathausplatz in the Innere Stadt district. Constructed from 1872 to 1883 in a Neo-Gothic style according to plans designed by Friedrich von Sch ...
, built c. 1918
Axel Springer Haus Paternosteraufzug.JPG, Paternoster at the headquarters of Axel Springer SE
Axel Springer SE () is a German digital and popular periodical publishing house which is the largest in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands, such as '' Bild'', ''Die Welt'', and ''Fakt'' and more than 15,000 employees. It generated to ...
PaternosterView.jpg, View from inside a paternoster in Berlin, showing floor slab
Paternoster Lift flickr.webm, View from working paternoster in the Albert Sloman Library
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia
* Albert Productions, a record label
* Albert C ...
, University of Essex
The University of Essex is a public university, public research university in Essex, England. Established by royal charter in 1965, Essex is one of the original plate glass university, plate glass universities. Essex's shield consists of the an ...
, prior to 2014
Paternoster Praha Ministry of Transport Klimentska east side 01.jpg, Paternoster machinery in the offices of the Czech Republic's Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government age ...
, Prague
Paternoster Elevator at National Pensions Building 2012-Finland.webm, People using a Paternoster in Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
See also
*
Belt manlift
A belt manlift or manlift is a device for moving passengers between floors of a building. It is a simple belt with steps or platforms and handholds rather than an elevator with cars. Its design is similar to that of a paternoster lift. The belt is ...
*
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
*
List of elevator manufacturers
This is a list of companies that manufacture elevators.
Current elevator manufacturers
* Aichi small-elevator manufacturing corporation
* Doppler
* Fujitec
* Hitachi
* Hyundai Elevator
* Kone
* Mitsubishi Electric
* Otis Elevator Company ...
*
Shabbat elevator
A Shabbat elevator is an elevator which works in a special mode, operating automatically, to satisfy the Jewish law requiring Jews to abstain from operating electrical switches on Shabbat (the Sabbath). These are also known as Sabbath or Sh ...
*
Revolving door
A revolving door typically consists of three or four doors that hang on a central shaft and rotate around a vertical axis within a cylindrical enclosure. Revolving doors are energy efficient as they, acting as an airlock, prevent drafts, thus de ...
References
External links
A look at the last remaining paternoster lifts, Associated Press, 2017 (YouTube)
{{Authority control
Elevators
Vertical transport devices
English inventions
1884 introductions
Articles containing video clips