Lutz scenic traction elevator at St. Nikolai church in Hamburg

St. Nikolai church was bombed and almost entirely destroyed during World War II. Only the bell tower survived. As a memorial and reminder of the cruelty that was brought to Germany from the 1930s up until 1945, by the at that time scarily popular far-right party NSDAP, a scenic elevator has been built into the existing tower. It leads up to a viewing platform 75 meters above ground level, where there is an exhibit of some photographs that show a largely destroyed Hamburg, shortly after the end of World War II. During the regime of the NSDAP under Adolf Hitler, five to six million people were murdered, most of them Jews or declared as such, only because of the stupid ideologies and the blatant lies of a few people that so many believed in. I believe, and I hope many others do, too, that this policy of antisemitism and intolerance must never again gain widespread support.

The elevator itself is very fast, as shown by the travel distance counter. The motor room is actually located on an intermediate level. There is a keyswitch inside the elevator that gives acces to an intermediate stop, persumably where the machinery is located. There is an advertisement for Lutz Aufzüge above both public entrances, and even the counterweight has their web address engraved.

Technical specifications:
Brand: Lutz
Capacity: 1100kg / ~2425lbs / 13 people
Type: traction (intermediate drive, 1:1 transmission)
Year built: 2005
Travel distance: 3 stops / ~75 meters / ~246 feet