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The five basic types of the Berlin Gas Lamps

Archetype lamp by night and by day
©Gaslicht-Kultur e.V.

1. Archetype lamps

quantity: 1.200
since: 1892
number of flames: 4
mast form: bundle pillar mast
mostly where: Charlottenburg, Spandau
lovely: Chamissoplatz, Kreuzberg

Facts:
Standardized model of the Berlin Municipal Gasworks of 1892/93 was the archetype lamp, better known as the "Schinkelleuchte". The design of this lamp was a further development of earlier designs by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

The original design of this model had two flames, that is equipped with two gas mantles. Since the 1950s, these lanterns were converted to today's widespread version with four gas mantles. However, in the course of these modifications, most of these lights were replaced by the so-called fixture lights of U7 type, which are introduced below. Most of these lights are mounted on ornated masts, which are called bundle pillar masts. In some places in Berlin, for example in the historical parts of Spandau, this form is mounted on wall brackets. An alternative form is the candelabra with two, three or five lights on it. A five-light original candelabra of 1903 exists in the Charlottenburg Schloßstraße and at Karl-August-Platz. Today you can find faithful reproductions of this candelabra for example in the Wilmersdorf Strasse, Stuttgarter Platz in the gas lanterns open-air museum. There is another five-light form at Hohenzollernplatz in Nikolassee and in front of the subway station Dahlem-Dorf. Two- and three-light versions of this candelabra you can find for example in Alt-Tegel.

Of this archetype lamps illustrated here on bundle pillar masts there are still about 1,200 copies in Berlin. They are mainly in the vicinity of the Charlottenburg Castle, in the area of the Kreuzberg Chamisso place in the settlement Heerstraße and in the Spandauer Altstadt (here on wall brackets), but also in other streets and squares or in the quarters of Hermsdorf, Lübars, Tegel, Wilmersdorf, Marienfelde and Lichtenrade.

Top Piece Lamp by night and by day ©Gaslicht-Kultur e.V.

2. Top Piece Lamps

quantity: 30.000
since: 1920s
number of flames: 4, rarely 6
mast form: bundle pillar and steel masts
mostly where: districts of downtown
lovely: Leonhardtstr.,Charlottenburg

Facts:
This type is the best known type of gas lamps in Berlin and came up in the 1920s. In its form of today with the name "BAMAG U7" this type has been used since the 1950s to replace older archetype lights or top piece lamps and to reduce distances between existing gas street lights. Of this type of gaslight there are about 30,000 copies, the most common gas lanterns in Berlin.

From beginning on these lamps usually have four mantles, a few rare specimens have six mantles. The tops of the lamp are like the archetype lamps mounted on on bundle pillar masts, in parts also on normal steel masts of various designs. Some of the bundle pillar masts carry the imprint I.C.G.A. This is the abbreviation for the former mast manufacturer Intercontinental Gas Association and means that these masts are over 100 years old. Due to a technical specialty the masts of gas streetlamps can not corrode from the inside, so these masts are also after such a long time still almost in a good order.

In some districts of Berlin like Köpenick, Biesdorf, Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf you can find GDR-productions or in part, top luminaires of the type "Graetzin" with conical roof made of black bakelite. Tower lights illuminate today in West Berlin from north to south nearly throughout large parts of the city area and are almost exclusively in purely residential streets. There is a special feature in the Charlottenburg Leonhardt street, where the lamps are double row on the sidewalk.

Suspended Lamp by nicht and by day ©Gaslicht-Kultur e.V.

3. Suspended Lamps

quantity: 4.000
since: beginning 20th century
number of flames: 4 or 9
mast form: Gallow, „Great Bishop's Staff“
mostly where: western districts
lovely: Schlossstraße,Charlottenburg

Facts:
Suspended lamps were put up in Berlin in the early 20th century. They reached the peak of their distribution during the thirty-year period from 1920 to 1950. Because their light point is higher above the pavement, these lamps are especially suitable for large traffic thoroughfares. The BAMAG A11 type, which is mostly in use today, has been employed in the western districts of Berlin since the 1940s. Suspended lamps carry mostly four or nine gas mantles (flames). They are mounted on different masts, some of which are richly decorated. These masts ususally stem from the times of the preceding models. Noticeable forms of masts are the so-called Großer Galgen („Great Gallow“) and the Großer Bischofsstab („Great Bishop's Staff“).

Variant types of suspended lamps, called „Graetzin“, were produced in East Germany and exist in Köpenick, Biesdorf, Kaulsdorf and Mahlsdorf. Starting in the 1950s, suspended lamps in thoroughfares were replaced by more modern alignment lamps. Today, about 4000 suspended lamps still exist in Berlin, most of them in Kreuzberg. Two pilot projects can be found in Sophie-Charlotten-Straße (Charlottenburg) and in Reichenberger Straße (Kreuzberg): Suspended lamps with nine flames illuminate the street in combination with with modell or U7 top piece lamps which illuminate the sidewalk. These projects, which were realized in co-operation with Gaslicht-Kultur (former Gaslichtinitiative Berlin), averted electrification of these two streets.

Alignment Lamp by night and by day ©Gaslicht-Kultur e.V.

4. Alignment Lamps

quantity: 8.200
since: 1950th
number of flames: 4, 6 or 9
mast form:mostly flagelliform
mostly where: Frohnau, South of Berlin
lovely: Bismarckallee, Grunewald

Facts:
They were the last new development in gas-streetlighting and often replaced suspended lamps on thoroughfares and broad side streets. Streets that were newly built were also equipped with them. The type which is prevalent today (labelled BAMAG U13H) exists in three sizes: with four, six or nine flames. The heads of this model were mounted on different mast forms, mostly typical "whip masts", but also so-called extension arm masts, which in turn were formed from masts of former suspended lamps.

The alignment lamp is a real child of Berlin. It was developed in the early 1950s by engineer Wilhem Hilterhaus, longtime head of the department of street lighting at GASAG, Berlins municipal gas company. The alignment lamp guaranteed the survival of gas-streetlighting, which was then in fierce competition with electrical lighting. The head of the lamp as well as the typical whip shaped mast were developed and testet at the GASAG premises in Torgauer Straße. The gas flames that were aligned in one line - hence the name alignment lamp - were supposed to match the electrical Langenfeld lamp, which was also developed in the early 1950s. Because the flames were arranged like a stairway, an ideal light effiency was reached. The mantles did not shade each other any longer.

There are still 8400 alignment lamps in the streets of Berlin, many of them in Frohnau and in southern districts. One of the most beautiful streets with magnificent nine flame alignment lamps is Bismarckallee in Grunewald. It's worthwhile to pass through here at night.

Alignment lamps are the backbone of Berlin's gas street lighting. Together with the other types of lamps, they form ensembles, something that is typical for the city. Several types of lamps are grouped together as a unit in a confined space, according to their function in traffic engineering. Alignment lamps are the first to disappear over the course of the next years, if the plans of the Berlin Senate come into effect.

5. Cylinder Lamps

quantity: 200
since: 2000
number of flames: 4
mast form: modern steel mast
mostly where: Gatow, Buchholz
lovely: Jürgen-Schramm-Str., Gatow

Facts:
The alignment lamp, which was described above, was the last great innovation in gas lighting. But actually, the last new development was the so called cylinder lamp, often called modern fixture lamps or "Paella Pan". For this modern gas lamp - with four flames - the latest gas lighting technique was installed in ordinary electrical lamps. Cylinder lamps were developed by Michael Kraft, the last head of the gas lighting department at GASAG. He was a virtual sucessor of Hilterhaus and also made other improvements in gas lighting. Cylinder lamps were put up in the year 2000 in development areas of Gatow and Buchholz.

But Berlin no longer pursues the strategy of consequently developing gas lighting and making it ever more economically. Therefore, Cylinder lamps play only a minor role in the cityscape. You can tour these lamps, among others, in Jürgen-Schramm-Straße in Gatow and its side streets.