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World Clock

World Clock, also known as the Urania World Time Clock, is a large turret-shaped clock on Alexanderplatz in Berlin’s Mitte district, Germany. Since its construction in 1969, it has become both a tourist attraction and a popular meeting place. The metal rotunda displays the time in 148 major cities around the world. Its 24-sided column represents the Earth’s main time zones, with city names engraved on each side, and a painted compass rose marks the pavement below. The sculpture includes four small analog clocks and a solar-system artwork of steel rings and spheres that turns once a minute. In 1997, the clock was renovated and parts were replaced by Aurotec GmbH.

The World Clock in Alexanderplatz, a cylindrical public clock with city names and times beneath a globe structure.
The World Clock stands in Alexanderplatz in Berlin, with a modern high-rise and cloudy sky in the background.
July 2018 © · CC BY 2.0
World Clock with an open metal globe on top and city names around the base, with a carousel in the background.
The World Clock stands beneath a bright sky, with a carousel visible behind it.
September 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The World Time Clock in Berlin, with city names and illuminated time panels beneath a spherical metal top in a public plaza.
Berlin’s World Time Clock stands in a busy plaza surrounded by modern buildings.
April 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The World Clock stands in a public square with people gathered around its base.
The World Clock in Berlin, surrounded by visitors in a busy public square.
March 2019 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The World Clock at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, surrounded by pedestrians and city buildings.
The World Clock stands in Alexanderplatz, Berlin, amid a busy city square.
© · CC BY 3.0

Identification

TitleWorld Clock
Original-language nameUrania-Weltzeituhr
German nameWeltzeituhr
Italian nameOrologio mondiale dell'Urania
Typepublic clock sculpture / world clock
Alternative nameUrania World Clock

Historical context

Construction date1969
Public unveiling date30 September 1969
Occasion of unveiling20th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic
Associated eventopened alongside the Berlin TV Tower
Associated urban projectpart of the redesign and expansion of Alexanderplatz in East Berlin under socialist modernism

Creator

Construction teammore than 120 engineers, specialists, and other tradespeople
Collaborating craftsmanHans-Joachim Kunsch
Collaborating companyGetriebefabrik Coswig
DesignerErich John
Construction supervisionErich John
SupervisorWalter Womacka
Designer's roleemployee of the Alexanderplatz planning group under Walter Womacka; lecturer in product design at the University of Applied Arts in Berlin / Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee

Discovery and provenance

Origin of ideathe idea arose in 1966 when remains of the Urania Column (also called the Wettersäule), a pre-World War II public clock, were found during the restoration of Alexanderplatz
Earlier objectUrania Column / Wettersäule
Name originnamed after Urania, the muse of astronomy in Greek mythology

Physical characteristics

Rotunda inscriptionnames of 146 places plus the International Date Line
Base height2.7 meters
Top featureopenwork model of the Solar System
Weight16 tonnes
Height10 meters
Formclock installation in the form of a column or tower with a rotunda; described as a symbolic clock / world clock

Materials

Materialmetal
Base materialmetal
Rotunda materialmetal

Technique

Time display methodtime is read from the markings on the metal rotunda
Time zones displayed148 major cities around the world

History and restoration

Vandalismon 17 October 2023, activists of Ultima Generazione vandalized the clock after damage to the Brandenburg Gate
Commemorative coina coin featuring the World Clock was issued in 1987
Honor received by designerFederal Cross of Merit on ribbon in 2021 for inventing the World Clock
Rights transferErich John transferred advertising and marketing rights to a Berlin-based startup company in 2018
Naming disputeBratislava was changed to Pressburg despite protests from Slovakia
Time zone updateKyiv was moved from Moscow time to Eastern European Time
Cities added in 1997including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Cape Town, and Seoul
Examples of updated city namesLeningrad to Saint Petersburg; Alma Ata to Almaty
Restoration workscity names were updated, 20 new cities were added, and city-to-time-zone assignments were revised
Restoration cost350,000 marks
Restoration responsibilityHans-Joachim Kunsch as metal restorer
Restoration periodOctober to December 1997
Heritage statusprotected monument status since July 2015; declared a monument of historical and cultural importance by the German government

Location and ownership

LocationAlexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany
Original location contextEast Berlin, Germany

Significance

Functionshows the current time in 148 major cities around the world
Social rolepopular meeting place for Berliners and tourists
Touristic roletourist attraction
Cultural statusconsidered Berlin's most famous meeting point
Cultural and political significanceicon of socialist modernity
Depicted onpostage stamps and coins of the German Democratic Republic