After World War II, Speer was convicted at the Nuremberg Trials, indicted on four counts, and served 20 years in prison. Heavy load-exerting body In 1941, construction for the began for the purpose of testing the load-bearing capacity of the ground on the planned site of Hitler's Triumphal Arch. The Triumphal Arch was to be Hitler's focal point of Germania, therefore the was a vital and necessary piece of construction. The was constructed by the French prisoners of war in forced labor camps. If it were to sink less than , the soil would be deemed sound enough for further construction without additional stabilization. An analysis of the meticulous measurements only took place in 1948, revealing that the cylinder had sunk some after two and a half years. The arch as conceived by Speer could only have been built after considerable prior stabilization of the ground. The cylinder itself was never initially intended by Hitler or Speer to be destroyed, but to be subsequently buried under a new road. Interrupted by the war, these plans never came to fruition. After the end of World War II, the no longer served a practical purpose. Without any more plans for the Triumphal Arch, the remained an immovable 12,650 tonne cylinder. The was used under the auspices of the Technical University of Berlin as part of a project to compile data about the city's geologic foundation up until 1977. Public perception Removal of the cylinder was considered after the war, but because of its mass as well as nearby train tracks and apartment buildings, the structure could not be safely demolished with explosives. Since 1995 the monumental cylinder has been protected as a historical monument representing the "only tangible relic of National Socialist urban planning". The acts as a standing reminder of the basis of Hitler's and Speer's elaborate plans for Berlin. It is open to the public for viewing and guided tours. References Further reading Roger Moorhouse, Berlin at War: Life and Death in Hitler's Capital, 1939–1945, Bodley Head, 2010. External links Additional photographs Information in German and partially in English about the site and the visiting hours Buildings and structures in Berlin Nazi architecture Concrete buildings and structures Towers completed in 1941 Albert Speer buildings In situ geotechnical investigations