If one looks at a list of the tallest man-made objects in Europe, then is noticeable that formed Western Europe before end of the cold war there are except Belmont TV mast in Donington on Bain in UK, Torreta de Guardamar in Spain, Gerbrandytoren in the Netherlands, whose height decreased since its completition of 15.7 metres, the radio mast of Emley Moor, which collapsed in 1969 and was replaced by a concrete TV tower and the long wave radio mast in Hellissandur on Iceland no man-made objects, which are taller than 1200 foot (365.25 meters). All these objects have in common that they were built before 1965! Since then in Western Europe no object taller than 1200 foot (365.25 meters) was built, although Western Europe ranked belongs to the richest regions of the world!
For this circumstance may be a secret agreement of the NATO be responsible, which instructs the states of Western Europe, not to give permissions for the structures, which are talling than 1200 foot (365.25 meters)? For the existence of a such agreement speaks the circumstance that there is since 1963 a law, which forbids generally the erectios of man-made structures pf any kind taller than 628.8 metres. Why should not exist a similia regulation in Western Europe?
For the possible existence of a such an agreement speaks the circumstance that one wanted to build for the Deutschlandfunk transmitter in Donebach in 1982 according http://forum.myphorum.de/read.php?f=8773&i=55956&t=54569 two 490 meters tall masts, but than as one received for such masts no construction license by the air traffic control, built two 363 meters tall masts. A request to the DFS led to the result that there is no official law, which prohibits the erection of permanent man-made objects taller than 1200 feet (> 365.25 meters) in Western Europe. There could be however a unofficial regulations in the context of the NATO statute, in which the appropriate authorities of the states of Europe are advised, not to allow the erection of new structures with heights over 1200 foot (> To reject 365.25 meters) in principle. Remarkable is in this content also that the 385 meters high TV mast in Emley Moor, Great Britain, which was built in 1964, was replaced after its collapse of icing on March 19th, 1969 by a just 330 meter high free standing concrete tower. Why was the new concrete tower not built just as highly (or more highly) than as the former mast? A low antenna worsens the television supply at the peripheral areas of the supply area! Completely simply! Because one was not allowed to built at the end of the 60's with a height of more than 365.25 meters!
The 412 meters tall radio mast in Hellissandur was until the beginning of the 90's a part of the North Atlantic LORAN C chain to which also the LORAN C transmitter on Rantum in Sylt belonged. Both stations were LORAN-C Secondaries. But why one was content in Germany with a mast with a height of just 190 meters? A 400 meters tall radio mast on Sylt would have served its task for the radiation of the extremely wide-band (bandwidth 20 kHz, for comparison: the bandwidth of longwave transmitters is 9kHz) of LORAN C signal on the transmitter frequency 100 kHz with a transmitting power of 300kW, lain below the longwave broadcasting band, certainly better done!
In Eastern Europe (outside the former Soviet Union) it might have existed a similar regulation in the context o the Warsaw Pact, in which the appropriate states were instructed, not to allow the erection of permanent man-made structures taller than 1200 ft (365.25 meters). With exception of Poland, where in 1974 a 646 meter high radio mast for longwave broadcasting was built, also in Eastern Europe (outside the former Sowjet Union) no structures taller than 1200 foot (365.25 meters) were built (Berlin TV tower until 1997 365 metres and not 368 meters high).
On the other hand one could interpret the erection of the 646.38 meters tall radio mast in Gabin as heavy offence against the advice of Warsaw Pact not to allow the erection of permanent structures taller than 1200 foot (365.25 meters). As a consequence of this in context of the RGW economic sanctions were hang against Poland, which led after 1980 to strong bottlenecks in this country?
Interestingly in recent years the height of once tallest structures in the European Union were lowered, so today the tallest structure in European Union is Torreta de Guardamar, a military radio mast in Spain.
List of architectural structures in Europe taller than 350 metres[]
| Name | Structural type | Usage | Pinnacle height | Year | Country | Town | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konstantynow Radio Mast | guyed mast | longwave broadcasting | 646 m (2,119 ft) | 1974 | Poland | Gabin-Konstantynów, Masovian Voivodeship | collapsed on August 8, 1991 during guy wire exchange, insulated against ground | |
| Ostankino Tower | concrete tower | observation, FM-/TV-transmission | 540 m (1,772 ft) | 1967 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Moscow | 2000 Fire led to renovation | |
| Troll A platform | offshore platform | Oil drilling | 472 m (1,549 ft) | 1996 | Norway | North Sea | 303 meters of height is below sea surface | |
| Dudinka CHAYKA-Mast | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 462 m (1,516 ft) | ? | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Dudinka | Guyed grounded lattice steel mast equipped with a cage antenna, which was used for transmitting CHAYKA-navigation signals on 100 kHz. | |
| Taymylyr CHAYKA-Mast | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 462 m (1,516 ft) | ? | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Taymylyr | Guyed grounded lattice steel mast equipped with a cage antenna, which was used for transmitting CHAYKA-navigation signals on 100 kHz. After shutdown demolished on September 24th, 2009 by explosives. | |
| Inta CHAYKA-Mast | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 460 m (1,509 ft) | ? | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Inta | Guyed grounded lattice steel mast equipped with a cage antenna, which was used for transmitting CHAYKA-navigation signals on 100 kHz. | |
| Central tower of Imeretinskaya VLF-transmitter | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 425 m (1,394 ft) | ? | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Imeretinskaya | . | |
| Gufuskálar | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 412 m (1,352 ft) | 1963 | Iceland | Hellissandur | until mid-1990s used for LORAN-C-transmission, now used for longwave broadcasting of Icelandic Broadcasting Company (Riksutvarpid), insulated against ground | |
| Emley Moor TV Mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 385 m (1,263 ft) | 1964 | United Kingdom | Emley Moor, Yorkshire | Collapsed on March 19th, 1969, because of icing, replaced by 330 metre tall concrete tower on same site | |
| Kiev TV Tower | lattice tower | FM-/TV-transmission | 385 m (1,263 ft) | 1973 | Ukraine (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Kiev | Tallest lattice tower in the world | |
| Gerbrandy Tower | partially guyed tower | FM-/TV-transmission | 382.5 m (1,255 ft) | 1961 | Netherlands | Lopik | Original height: 382.5 metres. 1987: height reduction to 375 metres. Further height reduction to 366.8 metres on August 2nd 2007 | |
| Gullfaks C | offshore platform | Oil drilling | 380 m (1,247 ft) | 1990 | Norway | North Sea | 217 meters of height is below sea surface | |
| Torreta de Guardamar | guyed mast | LF-transmission | 370 m (1,214 ft) | 1962 | Spain | Guardamar del Segura | radio mast used by US-military, actually tallest structure in the EU | |
| Riga Radio and TV Tower | concrete tower | observation, FM-/TV-transmission | 368 m (1,207 ft) | 1987 | Latvia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Riga | tripod construction, resembling to Eiffel Tower | |
| Berlin TV Tower | concrete tower | observation, FM-/TV-transmission | 368 m (1,207 ft) | 1969 | Germany (GDR at time of construction) | Berlin | was 362 metre tall, when completed in 1969 | |
| Skelton transmitter | guyed mast | VLF-transmission | 365 m (1,198 ft) | 2001 | UK | Skelton, Cumbria | insulated against ground | |
| Trbovlje Chimney | concrete tower | chimney | 364 m (1,194 ft) | 1976 | Slovenia(Yugoslavia at time of construction) | Trbovlje | tallest chimney in Europe | |
| Donebach transmitter | 2 guyed masts | longwave transmission | 363 m (1,191 ft) | 1982 | Germany (West Germany) | |||
| Piecewo TV Mast | Guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 1969 | Poland | Olsztyn | since collapse of Konstantynow Radio Mast tallest man-made object in Poland | |
| Donetsk TV Mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 1992 | Ukraine | Donetsk | ||
| Novosokolniki TV Mast | Guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 1995 | Russia | Novosokolniki | ||
| Ingoy longwave transmitter | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 2000 | Norway | Ingoy | grounded, upfed | |
| Sender Zehlendorf, new longwave transmission mast | guyed mast | longwave /FM-transmission | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 1979 | Germany (GDR at time of construction) | Zehlendorf bei Oranienburg, Brandenburg | grounded structure with cage antenna | |
| Berlin-Frohnau Radio Relay Link Mast | guyed mast | directional radio link | 360 m (1,181 ft) | 1978 | Germany (West Germany at time of construction) | Berlin-Frohnau, Berlin | used for a radio link to Gartow, demolished on February 9th, 2009 by explosives | |
| Endesa Termic | concrete tower | chimney | 356 m (1,168 ft) | 1974 | Portugal | As Pontes, Galicia | ||
| FM- and TV-mast Kosztowy | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 355 m (1,165 ft) | 1976 | Poland | Kosztowy | ||
| RKS Liblice 2 | 2 guyed masts | FM-/TV-transmissions | 355 m (1,165 ft) | 1980 | Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia at time of construction) | Liblice, Ceský Brod | tallest masts used for mediumwave broadcasting, grounded structures with cage antennas | |
| Straseni TV Mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 355 m (1,165 ft) | 1985 | Moldova | Straseni | ||
| Lipetsk TV Mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 354.6 m (1,163 ft) | 1991 | Russia | Lipetsk | ||
| Vinnytsia TV Mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 354 m (1,161 ft) | 1961 | Ukraine (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Vinnytsia | ||
| Sosnovy Longwave Radio Mast | guyed mast | LF-transmission | 353.5 m (1,160 ft) | ? | Belarus (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Sosnovy | ||
| VLF transmitter DHO38 | 8 guyed masts | VLF-transmission | 353 m (1,158 ft) | 1982 | Germany (West Germany at time of construction)) | Saterland-Ramsloh, Lower Saxony | insulated against ground | |
| Chimney of Phoenix Copper Smelter | concrete tower | chimney | 352 m (1,155 ft) | ? | Romania | Baia Mare | ||
| Belmont TV mast | guyed mast | FM-/TV-transmission | 351.5 m (1,153 ft) | 1965 | United Kingdom | Donington on Bain, Lincolnshire | Height originally 387.5 metres. Height reduction between October 2009 and April 2010 in the course of Digital Switchover. | |
| Sender Zehlendorf, old longwave transmission mast | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 351 m (1,152 ft) | 1962 | Germany (GDR at time of construction) | Zehlendorf bei Oranienburg, Brandenburg | grounded structure with cage antenna, destroyed on May 18th, 1978 at aircraft collision | |
| Longwave transmitter Allouis | guyed masts | longwave transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1974 | France | Allouis | first mast built in 1952 was until 1974 308 metres tall, second mast built in 1974 | |
| Sendemast SL3 | guyed mast | longwave transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1968 | Germany (GDR at time of construction) | Burg bei Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt | collapsed on February 18, 1976 | |
| Mosolovo TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1968 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Mosolovo | ||
| Kolodischi TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1970 | Belarus (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Minsk | ||
| Lipin Bor TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1970 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Lipin Bor | ||
| Grigoriopol transmitter, large mediumwave mast | guyed mast | MW-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Moldova (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Mayak | collapsed in 1997 | |
| Selizharovo TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1971 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Selizharovo | ||
| Pinerovka TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1971 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Pinerovka | ||
| Ushachi TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1974 | Belarus (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Ushachi | ||
| Yershov TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1974 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Yershov | ||
| Tula TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1975/76 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Tula | ||
| Novo-Bykovo TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1977 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Vladimir | ||
| Rodniki TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1977 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Rodniki | ||
| Volga TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1978 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Rybinsk | ||
| Kanevskaya TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1979 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Kanevskaya | ||
| Stavropol TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1979 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Stavropol | ||
| Livny TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1979? | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Livny | ||
| Sovetsky TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1984 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Sovetsky, Mari El Republic | ||
| Smogiri TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1986 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Smolensk | ||
| Varaksino TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1988 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Izhevsk | ||
| Tsivilsk TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | 1990 | Russia (Soviet Union at time of construction) | Tsivilsk | ||
| Galich TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Russia | Galich | ||
| Surgut TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Russia | Surgut | ||
| Polykovichi TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Belarus | Mahilyow/Polykovichi | ||
| Novaya Strazha TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Belarus | Slonim | ||
| Smetanichi TV Mast | guyed mast | UHF/VHF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | Belarus | Smetanichi | ||
| HWU transmitter | guyed mast | VLF-transmission | 350 m (1,148 ft) | ? | France | Rosnay | multiple masts |