---
title: "Which came first, the Eiffel Tower or Germany?"
description: "the Eiffel Tower vs Germany: Germany came first, by 18 years — 1871 against 1889. What happened in each case, and why the dates are often given differently."
url: https://atoneplace.net/which-came-first/eiffel-tower-vs-germany/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Which came first, the Eiffel Tower or Germany?

**Which came first, the Eiffel Tower or Germany?: Germany**

1871 — 18 years before the Eiffel Tower

Germany came first, by 18 years. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles.

## Side by side

|  | the Eiffel Tower | Germany |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Year | 1889 | 1871 |
| Date | 1889-03-31 | 1871-01-18 |
| Category | landmark | country |
| What happened | The tower opened for the Paris Exposition Universelle. | The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles. |

## the Eiffel Tower

Built for the 1889 World's Fair and intended to be dismantled after twenty years, the Eiffel Tower survived because it turned out to be useful as a radio antenna. It was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building in 1930. It opened in the same year Nintendo was founded, and two and a half years after the Statue of Liberty it is often assumed to predate.

## Germany

Germany as a unified state dates from 1871, which makes it younger than the United States, Canada, Italy and the bicycle. It then ceased to exist as a single state in 1949 and was reunified on 3 October 1990, so the current Federal Republic in its present borders is younger than the personal computer. Nintendo, founded in 1889, is older than most people's mental image of Germany allows.

## Common questions

### Which came first, the Eiffel Tower or Germany?

Germany, by 18 years — 1871 against 1889.

### When did the Eiffel Tower start?

1889. The tower opened for the Paris Exposition Universelle.

### When did Germany start?

1871. The German Empire was proclaimed at Versailles.

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## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]