Barbara Monument (Koblenz)

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The rebuilt Barbara monument in Koblenz

The Barbara Memorial , even artillery monument called, is a 1907 at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring (today: Friedrich-Ebert-Ring) in Koblenz inaugurated monument . It was built in honor of the soldiers of the Rhenish Field Artillery Regiment No. 8 who were killed in the wars of unification in the 19th century and were stationed in Koblenz from 1820 to 1887. The war memorial was damaged in the air raids on Koblenz and finally dismantled in 1956 during road construction work. In autumn 2014, the restored monument was rebuilt near its original location.

history

Monument erection

The inauguration of the Barbara monument on October 6, 1907 in Koblenz
The Barbara monument in 1908

The decision to build the Barbara monument was made on November 22, 1903 on the initiative of veterans of the Rhenish Field Artillery Regiment No. 8, which from 1889 had the following name: Field Artillery Regiment von Holtzendorff (1st Rheinisches) No. 8 This The regiment that emerged from the 1st Rhenish Artillery Brigade, founded in 1812, was stationed from 1820 to 1887, among other places, in the Mainzertor barracks in Koblenz, before it was moved to Saarlouis in 1887 and to Saarbrücken in 1898 . The following competition, the proposals of which were extensively discussed in public in 1905/1906, was won in March 1906 by the Munich sculptor Georg Schreyögg (1870–1934). The Barbara monument, built according to his plans, was inaugurated by Mayor Karl Ortmann on October 6, 1907 at the eastern end of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring opposite the Städtische Festhalle, not far from the Mainzertor barracks, which was demolished in 1898 ( 50 ° 21 ′ 14.8 ″  N , 7 ° 35 '53 "  E ). The construction costs amounted to about 25,000 marks (152,252 euros), which had been raised by the veterans. The cost of the base of the monument was borne by the city of Koblenz, which also provided the space for installation free of charge.

Degradation and whereabouts

The Barbara monument was only slightly damaged in the air raids on Koblenz during World War II. The central Barbara figure, however, had lost its head and completely disappeared between 1948 and 1956. After the severely damaged municipal festival hall had been torn down and replaced by the Rhein-Mosel-Halle , which was moved towards the Rhine , the Barbara monument was dismantled on March 8, 1956 as part of the reorganization of the streets at the driveway to the Pfaffendorfer Bridge . The parts of the monument were initially stored in the municipal vehicle fleet, but were later relocated to Koblenz-Horchheim. In 1982, the Bundeswehr rediscovered the remains of the figures near the Gneisenau barracks on the Horchheimer Höhe . All leftovers were then stored in the municipal building yard in Rauental in 1986 and in 2000 in the new municipal stone warehouse in Wallersheim .

Re-establishment

The inauguration ceremony for the restored Barbara monument on March 20, 2015
Video of the inauguration ceremony

A non-profit association founded in 2011 made the restoration and erection of the monument its goal. At his instigation, the partly badly damaged stones were secured in 2011 and relocated to the Falckenstein barracks in Lützel . The Allegory of Peace figure was restored in spring 2012 with the help of donations, and since August of the same year it has stood temporarily on the northern circular building of the Electoral Palace . The sculpture Allegory of War was restored in early 2013 and found its provisional place in the Falckenstein barracks in May. The sculpture of Saint Barbara was completed in August 2014 by the commissioned restorer in Thür . Her head and extremities were no longer preserved in the original and had to be reproduced. The water features in the base are not operated; however, the conditions for technical retrofitting were created during the reconstruction. The new location of the monument is Friedrich-Ebert-Ring at the level of the Christ Church . The original location was no longer an option due to the changed traffic routing.

In October 2014, construction began to rebuild the Barbara monument in front of the Christ Church, about 350 m west of its old location. The monument has largely been restored since the figure of Saint Barbara was erected on December 3, 2014. After that, some repair work was carried out on the monument and the surrounding area was redesigned. The monument has been restored as faithfully as possible. Only the benches previously attached to the side and a plinth step have been left out. The official inauguration took place on March 20, 2015 with the participation of the Koblenz Army Music Corps . In the speeches, the eventful history of the monument was discussed and that it was not a classic war memorial , but a memorial for peace. The cost of restoration and installation was around 200,000 euros. After the wine fountain, it is the second historical monument that could be rebuilt in Koblenz in a short time. After the inauguration in 2015, the bronze plaques and the side benches were added, the activation of the fountain function is still planned.

construction

The central figure of the monument is Saint Barbara , flanked by the allegorical figures of war and peace. Barbara is the patron saint of the artillerymen . With her right hand she closes the muzzle of a cannon barrel, in her left hand she holds a palm branch . The female figure of peace holds a laurel wreath in her left hand, which is supposed to symbolize peace. The war is a male figure who sits quietly and looks determined. His hand is on the scabbard, not the hilt. He lacks any aggressive gestures.

A bronze plaque with the names of the fallen soldiers of the Rhenish Field Artillery Regiment No. 8 was attached to the base of the two figures War and Peace. The tablets were probably melted down during World War II. The following text is carved into the main stone below the Barbara: "THE FALLEN COMMERCIAL - THE RHEINISCHE FELD ART RGMT N ° 8". The monument made of Walldürner shell limestone was erected as a fountain with a total of 16 gargoyles. The facility is 12 m wide, 9 m high and 10 m deep.

  • "War" figure

  • Figure "Saint Barbara"

  • Figure "peace"

  • Main stone with the inscription

  • Back of the monument

See also

literature

  • Festschrift for the unveiling ceremony of the memorial for the fallen comrades of the Rhine. Field Artillery Regiment No. 8 combined with a meeting of former members of the regiment respectively. of the former 8th Artillery Brigade (field and fortress artillery) on October 5, 6 and 7, 1907 in the old Coblenz garrison. - Coblenz: OV 1907 (printed by Breuer).
  • Energieversorgung Mittelrhein GmbH (ed.): History of the city of Koblenz. Overall editing: Ingrid Bátori in conjunction with Dieter Kerber and Hans Josef Schmidt. Theiss, Stuttgart 1992-1993;
    • Vol. 1: From the beginning to the end of the electoral era . - Stuttgart: Theiss 1992, ISBN 3-8062-0876-X .
    • Vol. 2: From the French city to the present . Stuttgart: Theiss 1993, ISBN 3-8062-1036-5 .
  • Saint Barbara and the artillery in Koblenz. Published by the Association of Friends and Patrons Barbara Monument eV in Koblenz. Coordination: Anton Steer . Editing: Ingrid Bátori, Manfred Böckling, Ingeborg Henzler, Oskar Hoffmann, Reinhard Kallenbach. - Koblenz: Garwain-Verlag 2017. ISBN 978-3-936436-30-3
  • Kampmann, Helmut: When stones speak. Memorial plaques and memorial plaques in Koblenz. Koblenz: Fuck-Verlag 1992, p. 256ff. ISBN 3-9803142-0-0 .
  • Rotter, Gerald (ed.): The Barbara monument in Koblenz in pictures. Edited by the Association of Friends and Patrons Barbara-Denkmal e. V., Koblenz. Compiled by Gerald Rotter. Extended new edition. - Koblenz: self-published 2016.
  • Steer, Anton: A long journey is slowly coming to an end. The Barbara monument is about to be completed. - In: Top-Magazin, Koblenz 26 (2016) Issue 4, p. 168 f.
  • Steer, Anton: The Holy Barbara in Horchheim, a station in the odyssey of a Koblenz monument, in: Kirmes - das Horchheimer Magazin (2012), pp. 40–45.
  • Steer, Anton: Saint Barbara and the Barbara celebration in Koblenz. Maintaining a venerable tradition. A handbook for the devotees and for the wards of Saint Barbara. - Koblenz: self-published 2013.
  • Steer, Anton and Albrecht Golomb: The Barbara Monument in Koblenz and its re-establishment. - In: Eichendorff-Gymnasium Koblenz: Yearbook 2013/2014, pp. 150–154.

Web links

Commons : Barbara-Denkmal (Koblenz)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Koblenz's Barbaradenkmal has a face again in: Rhein-Zeitung , August 21, 2014
  2. ↑ Koblenz / Thür: Barbara monument returns to the Ring in: Rhein-Zeitung , October 11, 2013
  3. ↑ Saint Barbara has returned to Koblenz in: Rhein-Zeitung , December 4, 2014
  4. ↑ A historical monument is also a memorial in: Rhein-Zeitung , March 21, 2015
  5. ↑ http://www.vff-barbara.de/aufruf.html

Coordinates: 50 ° 21 ′ 18.8 "  N , 7 ° 35 ′ 37.4"  E