 Niederwalddenkmal in 2015 | |
 Interactive map of Niederwalddenkmal | |
| Location | Rüdesheim am Rhein |
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| Coordinates | 49°58′51″N7°53′59″E / 49.98083°N 7.89972°E /49.98083; 7.89972 |
| Designer | Johannes Schilling,Karl Weißbach |
| Height | 38 metres (125 ft) |
| Beginning date | 1871 |
| Completion date | 1883 |
| Dedicated to | Founding of the German Empire 1871 |
| Website | niederwalddenkmal.de/ |
TheNiederwald monument (German:Niederwalddenkmal) is a monument located in the Niederwald, nearRüdesheim am Rhein inHesse,Germany, built between 1871 and 1883 to commemorate theUnification of Germany. The monument is located within theRhine Gorge, a largerUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. It overlooks theRhine Valley and the town ofBingen on the far side.
The monument was constructed to commemorate thefounding of the German Empire in 1871 after the end of theFranco-Prussian War. The first stone was laid on 16 September 1877 by KaiserWilhelm I. The sculptor wasJohannes Schilling, and the architect wasKarl Weißbach. The total cost of the work is estimated at one milliongold marks. The monument was inaugurated on 28 September 1883. The 38 metres (125 ft) tall monument represents the union of all Germans.[1]
The central figure is the 12.5 metres (41 ft) tallGermania on a throne decorated with eagles. Her right hand holds theImperial Crown, and her left holds theImperial Sword.
The pedestal beneath Germania have four inscriptions, one on each side, accompanied by four palm leaves on each corner. The next level beneath the pedestal decorated with wreaths of laurel, ribbons andIron Crosses, and the lower level decorated with coats of arms of German states, and aReichsadler (imperial eagle).
Beneath the eagle is a largerelief depicting Kaiser Wilhelm I riding a horse and accompanied by nobility, army commanders, and soldiers. The relief has the lyrics to "Die Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on the Rhine) engraved.
Beneath the relief of Kaiser Wilhelm I is a statue depictingRhenus Pater gives a bugle horn to his daughter Mosella, it symbolized the annexation of Alsace–Lorraine by German Empire.
The left side of the monument is a large relief depicting a scenario of farewell to Prussian soldiers, the right side of the monument is a large relief depicting a scenario of welcoming Prussian soldiers.
The front right corner of the monument is considered the allegory of peace, while the front left corner is considered the allegory of war.
The monument's main inscription is engraved on the pedestal of the Germania statue:
ZUM ANDENKEN | In memory
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The left side of the pedestal have inscriptions of Weißenburg, Wœrth, Spichern, Courcelles, Mars la Tour, Gravelotte, Beaumont, Sedan. The right side of the pedestal have inscriptions of Straßburg, Metz, Le Bourget, Amiens, Orléans, Le Mans, St. Quentin, Paris. Each of these places in France were sites of battles in the French-Prussian war of 1870/71.
The back side have following inscriptions:
FRIEDE ZU FRANKFURT | Peace of Frankfurt
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TheNiederwald [de] is a broad hill on the right bank of the Rhine located next to the tributaryWisper, oppositeBingen am Rhein. The hill forms the southwestern apex of theTaunus range. Its summit is covered by a dense forest ofoak andbeech. Its southern and western sides, which descend sharply toRüdesheim am Rhein andAssmannshausen, are covered withvineyards. The monument is located at the edge of the forest, on the crest of the hill above Rüdesheim.[2][3]
The Niederwalddenkmal can be reached bygondola lift (formerly arack railway), from Rüdesheim to Niederwald, by car, by chairlift from Assmannshausen, or by trails on foot.
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