Eiffel Tower bust of Gustave Eiffel by Antoine Bourdelle was unveiled at the base of the north leg on 2 May 1929. In 1930, the tower lost the title of the world's tallest structure when the Chrysler Building in New York City was completed. In 1938, the decorative arcade around the first level was removed. Upon the German occupation of Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French. The tower was closed to the public during the occupation and the lifts were not repaired until 1946. In 1940, German soldiers had to climb the tower to hoist a swastika-centered
Erika Eiffel Erika Eiffel Erika "Aya" Eiffel (née Erika LaBrie), is an American female competitive archer and advocate for object sexuality. She famously "married" the Eiffel Tower in a commitment ceremony in 2007. After serving enlisted in the United States Air Force, Eiffel entered the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993. In her first year she was sexually assaulted by another cadet, but thwarted the attack with a training sword. She was subsequently dismissed from the Academy with a personality disorder. "I really felt that the only way for me to sleep is if I was holding onto something, like my sword,