ABSTRACT
In July 2000 I surveyed forty-four primarily German and French students at the Universität des Saarlandes to find out what they knew about the Eiffel Tower. 1 Surprisingly, it was very little. Even if the question, “Who designed the Eiffel Tower?” might be considered misleading – since it was, in fact, not “Mr. Eiffel” as most conjectured – but two of his employees who drew up the original plan, the students’ responses indicate much about the general perception of the tower. While most students had been there, few had bought souvenirs, considering them to be too expensive, too kitschy, or too touristy. A few admitted to buying postcards, stamps, key chains, or a miniature tower. Many admired the tower for the view, and some were impressed with its height; a few found the tower beautiful, but several of the French thought it ugly. More Germans than French commented upon its technical features, and regardless of nationality, almost all agreed that the tower is the national symbol of France because “everyone knows it,” a response that confirms the tower’s iconic status while actually ignoring the complexities of that status.
