The German Tower (), also known as the Clock Tower () or the University Clock (), is a

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

in the

historic centre of Lima The Historic Centre of Lima () is the historic city centre of the city of Lima, the capital of Peru. Located in the city's districts of Lima and Rímac, both in the Rímac Valley, it consists of two areas: the first is the Monumental Zone est ...

, Peru. It is located in front of the

Casona de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos The ''Casona'' of the National University of San Marcos (), also known as the Cultural Centre of San Marcos (, CCSM), which operates in the building, is a large Spanish colonial building that hosts the cultural centre of the National University of ...

, in the University Park at the intersection of

Abancay Abancay (from Quechuan languages, Quechua language: Hamanqay, Amanqay, or Amankay, meaning ''lily''), founded in 1572 as Santiago de los Reyes de Abancay, is a city in southern-central Peru. It is the capital of both the Apurímac Region and th ...

and

Nicolás de Piérola José Nicolás Baltasar Fernández de Piérola y Villena (known as "''El Califa''" ("The Caliph"); January 5, 1839 – June 23, 1913) was a Peruvian politician and Minister of Finance of Peru, Minister of Finance who served as the 23rd (1879 ...

avenues. It was donated in 1921 by the German community in Lima, on the occasion of the Centennial of the Independence of Peru. At twelve in the day and at six in the afternoon, its chimes played the first stanza of the

National Anthem of Peru The "National Anthem of Peru", also known as the "National March of Peru" and "We Are Free", was adopted in 1821. The music was composed by José Bernardo Alcedo, and the lyrics were written by José de la Torre Ugarte. History Public contest ...

History

The German Tower was built as a gift from the resident German colony to commemorate the Centennial of the Independence of Peru. The German ambassador, , commented that "a strong bond between both peoples and governments would be built and it would help to maintain and foster mutual understanding and friendship." The construction of the

was in charge of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Friedrich Jordan Barkholtz (a native of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

) and the engineering firm Dunkelberg and Pellry, who together with the German ambassador, the most notorious German families residing in Lima, in Chanchamayo and the mayor of the city, , celebrated the laying ceremony of the first stone on July 30, 1921. The

Archbishop of Lima The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima () is part of the Catholic Church in Peru which enjoys full communion with the Holy See. The Archdiocese was founded as the ''Diocese of Lima'' on 14 May 1541. The diocese was raised to the level of a metr ...

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

Emilio Lissón, also participated in said ceremony. Although the German colony initially requested authorization to occupy land in the Park of the Exhibition, a place where a Lookout Tower would be built, it was built in 1922 in the University Park, where it is to this day. On April 10, 1922, it was agreed, through a session chaired by Mayor Pedro Rada y Gamio, to officiate at the ''Foundation Company'', so that the university park would be in presentable condition at the inauguration of the tower. The Clock Tower was inaugurated on July 10, 1923; the first intervention was carried out on October 15, 1937, in which the clock was repaired by Antenor Z. Alvarado, and later in 1969 an attempt was made to repair it again.

Gallery

UNMSM Casona y Parque Universitario 1924.jpg, The tower and its surroundings in 1924 Placa Torre Alemana de Lima (en alemán).jpg, The tower's plaque in

Parque universitario de Lima en la noche.jpg, The tower at night

References

{{Lima landmarks Clock towers in South America Buildings and structures in Lima National University of San Marcos Historic Centre of Lima Towers in Peru Towers completed in 1923

History

Gallery

See also

References