The Eiffel tower is the quintessential landmark on every Paris itinerary and the architectural wonder holds quite a few enthralling anecdotes to its name!
The Eiffel Tower or La Tour Eiffel, as called by the French people, is one of the most recognizable landmarks across the globe. The tower was designed to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. Through the Eiffel tower, France wanted to flaunt its modern mechanical prowess on a global stage. Here are six fascinating facts about the Eiffel tower that you probably didn't know.
The Eiffel tower was supposed to be taken down in 1909
As mentioned earlier, the Eiffel tower was built with the intent to display the country’s industrial prowess during the World’s Fair, but the plan was to take it down after 20 years. However, the tower was not torn down because of a wireless telegraph transmitter and an antenna that was installed by Gustave Eiffel, and the government eventually realized it was too useful to destroy.
Hitler had ordered for its demolition
When Hitler was about to lose control over Paris in 1944 to the Allied forces, he ordered the demolition of the entire city including the Eiffel Tower. However, the order was never followed through. The French resistance fighters sought their revenge by cutting the elevator cables of the tower, and the Nazi soldiers were forced to climb the stairs to hoist a swastika flag over it.
Someone married the Eiffel tower
An American woman named Erika Aya married the Eiffel tower in a commitment ceremony in 2007. Aya is diagnosed with a condition called paraphilia, where people develop significant relationships with inanimate objects.
The tower has a connection with Bollywood
One of the main engineers associated with the engineering of the Eiffel tower, Maurice Koechlin was related to Andre Koechlin, great-grandfather of the Bollywood actress, Kalki Koechlin.
The repainting of the tower is done manually
The tower has been repainted 18 times since its construction and the color has altered from red-brown to yellow and bronze. The traditional methods of manual painting are followed till date, which involves the use of a bucket and paintbrush without any mechanical method of painting.
The Tower is a cousin of sorts to the Statue of Liberty
Prior to the erection of the Eiffel Tower, Eiffel’s firm was asked to produce a design for the internal framework of the Statue of Liberty. The task was assigned to Maurice Koechlin, a trusted employee of the firm. The excellent iron handiwork was proven with Lady Liberty first.
You can now surprise your family and friends with your new-found Eiffel Tower facts.
