Goeben monument

The statue of the former Goeben monument on the grounds of the Falckenstein barracks in Koblenz

The Goeben monument in Koblenz is a memorial in honor of the Prussian general August Karl von Goeben . It was first located on Goebenplatz (today Joseph-Görres-Platz) from 1884 until shortly after the end of the Second World War . The statue is now in the care of the Bundeswehr and is on the grounds of the Falckenstein barracks in the Lützel district .

history

The inauguration of the Goeben monument on September 26, 1884

The Goeben monument on Goebenplatz in Koblenz around 1900

The Goeben monument was inaugurated on September 26, 1884 on Paradeplatz in Koblenz's old town . This was a memorial to the winner of the Battle of Saint-Quentin in the Franco-German War of 1870/1871, in which the French Northern Army suffered a decisive defeat. It was created by the Berlin sculptor Fritz Schaper . August Karl von Goeben was 1870 to 1880 commanding general of the VIII. Corps , the General Command had its headquarters in Koblenz. The German Kaiser Wilhelm I and his wife Augusta were present at the unveiling of the monument . The Paradeplatz was given the name Goebenplatz on August 13, 1890.

After the end of the Second World War, Goebenplatz was "demilitarized". The Goeben monument was dismantled for this purpose. On January 29, 1948, the square was named "Josef-Görres-Platz" after the journalist Joseph Görres, who was born in Koblenz . The Bundeswehr later took over the statue and the preserved inscription plaques on permanent loan . On December 10, 1960, the statue was erected by the Pioneer Equipment Company 308 on a base made of hewn field stones on the site of the Gneisenau barracks in the Horchheimer Höhe district . This is also evidenced by an inscription plaque on the back of the base. The inscription panels from the old base were placed in a semicircle behind the monument. The planned closure of the Gneisenau barracks (still in use) required another change of location in 2006. The bronze general and other traditional stones found a new location next to the "NATO hall" on the grounds of the Falckenstein barracks in the Lützel district.

On the Josef-Gorres-Platz at the site of the former Goeben monument is since 2000, the history column .

construction

The Goeben monument depicts the Prussian general August Karl von Goeben as a larger than life statue in a tunic and cloak. The bronze statue shows the military leader with a map of the battlefield near Saint-Quentin in France . The original pedestal made of red granite was provided with lateral volutes and stood within a round bed surrounded by a wrought-iron grille. A bronze plaque with Goeben's coat of arms is affixed to the current base in the Falckenstein barracks, which was created during the reconstruction after the war (and was reused during the last relocation) . The inscription panels placed next to the monument today are from the original base.

Monument protection

The bronze sculpture of the Goeben monument is a protected cultural monument according to the Monument Protection Act (DSchG) and entered in the list of monuments of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . It is located in Koblenz-Lützel on the grounds of the Falckenstein barracks at Von-Kuhl-Straße 50 .

The bronze sculpture of the Goeben monument has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley since 2002 .

literature

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;

Volume 1: From the beginning to the end of the electoral era . Theiss, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8062-0876-X .
Volume 2: From the French city to the present . Theiss, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-8062-1036-5 .

Wolfgang Schütz: Koblenz heads. People from the city's history - namesake for streets and squares. 2. revised u. exp. Edition. Publishing house for advertising papers , Mülheim-Kärlich 2005, OCLC 712343799 , pp. 199f.

Ulrike Weber (edit.): City of Koblenz. City districts (= monument topography Federal Republic of Germany . Cultural monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate. Vol. 3, 3). Werner, Worms 2013, ISBN 978-3-88462-345-9 .