© city-map AG ‐ Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
At the wide alignment of the road Straße des 17.Juni, roughly half way between Ernst-Reuter-Platz and Brandenburg Gate, is the 'Große Stern' with the victory column in its centre situated.
In the Tiergarten, which was used in the 16th century by the elector as a hunting ground, a clearing was created here for the deer, called 'Großer Stern' (Big Star) since 1832. Opened to the public by Frederick the Great, the Tiergarten was then redesigned in the 19th-century, by the landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné and got essentially today's form. The representative building of the 'Großen Stern' happened at the same time.
Today, the 'Große Stern' is the central cross point of the Straße des 17.Juni. 5 big main roads meet here in a roundabout. The constant traffic of a metropolis rolls along here on several lanes. In the last few years, many new traffic light facilities and road markings did a lot for the square's traffic safety. Visitors are able to reach the victory column, which is under monumental protection, easily via a tunnel.
The victory column was built in remembrance of three victorious wars, 1864 against Denmark, - 1866 against Austria and 1870/1871 against France. It was inaugurated on the 2nd of September 1873, in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm and his military leader with a grand military parade. A significant number of gold-plated guns-barrels from the spoils of war are embedded in the shaft. The column itself rests on a high granite pedestal, which is decorated with bronze relief. These depict scenes from the above mentioned wars. The lower part, which is surrounded by an open hall, symbolises a mosaic the fusion of German unification 1870/1871. The column is crowned with the gold-plated goddess of victory, Victoria (called in the vernacular 'Goldelse' because of the gold), who holds the victory symbols in her hand. The figure is over eight metres high and was modelled by Friedrich Drake. Until 1938 it was located on the Königsplatz, the present Platz der Republik, in front of the Reichstag building. One can climb up the 69,27m high column via a spiral staircase (285 steps). At a height of 48m is a viewing platform from where one can enjoy a great view over Berlin's centre.
Transport Links:
U9 Hansaplatz 
100 from Bahnhof Zoo or Alexanderplatz