War memorial (Bernau near Berlin)
The war memorial of the city of Bernau near Berlin shows a statue of Victoria, the goddess of victory, standing on a column . It was built in the Wilhelmine style in 1890 at the northern passage of the historic city wall according to plans by the sculptor Friedrich Thiele and inaugurated on October 19, 1890. Originally the monument commemorated the fallen soldiers of the city from the German-Danish War in 1864, the Prussian-Austrian War in 1866 and the German-French War in 1870/71. The memorial of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig was later included in the memorial.
The memorial is divided into three parts: a massive stone column stands on a three-meter-high stone base. On top of it a figure of Victoria holding a victory wreath in her raised right hand.
Black marble slabs are set into the column and the base on each side. The front of the column is adorned with the inscription God was with us, to him be the glory! . On the left there is a gilded relief of the German Emperor Friedrich III. , on the right one by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The inscription Your brave warriors from the glorious campaigns of 1864, 1866, 1870/71 was affixed to the front of the base in grateful recognition of the city of Bernau October 19, 1890 . The names of the ten soldiers who died in the three wars are engraved on the left and right sides.
On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the Battle of the Nations near Leipzig, the back of the monument was used to commemorate those seven men from Bernau who died between 1813 and 1815 for the liberation of Germany from the Napoleonic yoke . On the back of the column is a quote from the Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz :
- I believe and confess that a people has nothing to value more highly than the dignity and freedom of their existence; that it should defend this with the last drop of blood.
There are two other memorials within sight of the war memorial: a deserter memorial and the obelisk of the cemetery of honor for those killed in the Red Army .
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Coordinates: 52 ° 40 ′ 49.1 " N , 13 ° 35 ′ 7.7" E