King Konrad Monument
The King Konrad monument is dedicated to the German King Konrad I (911–918), who conferred the crown to Heinrich of Saxony . The monument, erected in 1894, stands on the Bodenstein rock above the Lahn near Villmar .
Konrad is seen as the first German king. When he died in Weilburg on December 23, 918, he used the Weilburg will to induce his brother Eberhard to renounce the throne and to hand over the royal insignia to the Saxon Duke Heinrich.
The 2.32 meter high statue made of Belgian sandstone stands on a base made of Lahn marble . Originally, the monument was surrounded by a wrought iron grille. The statue shows the king in the gesture of handing over the crown. The inscription on the base reads: Konrad I, 911-918, German King and Count of the Lahngau, dying in faithful care for the security and power of the empire, transferred crown and rule to Heinrich of Saxony . The monument is a landmark of the district and a testament to the imperial history in the 19th century.
history
The initiative for the construction of the Konrad monument was given by Ludwig Bindewald , district administrator of the Oberlahn district . He was in contact with the sculptor Ludwig Cauer , who had created the Duke Adolph monument in Weilburg, among others . Cauer signaled his willingness to forego the studio costs at an estimated cost of 10,000 marks .
The original plan provided for a 5 meter high monument that was to be effectively erected in front of the Weilbacher Landtor. It was hoped that tourism would be strengthened, among other things, by being mentioned in the prestigious Baedeker travel guide . Audiences from Frankfurt am Main to Bad Ems should be attracted.
The König Konrad Memorial Association was founded to achieve this goal . Donations were collected. Cauer made a model. This was exhibited in the hall of the castle. The income from the entry also went to the monument fund. The model was also exhibited at the trade and art exhibition in Koblenz .
The Weilburg judicial councilor Daniel Rath massively criticized the project in September 1891. The main point of his criticism was the statement that King Konrad did not deserve a monument because of his failed government.
There was extensive discussion. In particular, Rath directs his criticism against the location at the Landtor, as this is itself dedicated to Prince Karl von Nassau-Weilburg and therefore should not be allowed to bear another monument.
The Weilburg municipal council adopted Rath's view and Mayor Schaum informed Bindewald that another location had to be found within Weilburg.
Even if the plan to erect the monument was pursued, progress was slow. In addition, District Administrator Bindewald, who himself had donated 5,000 marks for the construction, died on June 19, 1893, who had significantly supported the project.
It can be assumed that as a result the project in Weilburg lost all support. It was the dean of Villmar and center delegate Johannes Ibach who took the initiative. Ibach was active in the König Konrad Memorial Association from the start and later headed the committee.
On June 10, 1894, the monument, which cost around 7,000 marks, was finally unveiled on the Bodenstein near Villmar.
Web links
- State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Hesse (Ed.): King Konrad Monument In: DenkXweb, online edition of cultural monuments in Hesse
- Information on www.weilburg-lahn.info
Coordinates: 50 ° 23 '30.7 " N , 8 ° 10' 39.7" E