Victory Monument (Leipzig)

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Victory monument around 1900
Victory monument and old town hall on a photograph from around 1890
Victory Monument. Woodcut in detail 1888

The Victory Monument in Leipzig was a memorial to commemorate Germany's victory in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. From 1888 to 1946 it was located in the middle of the northern part of the Leipzig market, approximately at the level of the north gable of the Old Town Hall . Although it survived the war almost undamaged, it was destroyed in 1946.

history

The memorial was created based on a design by the Berlin sculptor Rudolf Siemering (1835–1905). The Germania figure was made of copper by Hermann Howaldt (1841–1891, Georg Howaldt & Sohn ) in Braunschweig ; all other statues were cast from bronze in Berlin and Lauchhammer .

The city ​​councils took the 46,409 gold marks required to finance the victory memorial from the estate of the Leipzig founder Franz Dominic Grassi (1801–1880), who wanted to support Leipzig's arts with the foundation capital of 2,327,423 gold marks.

At the solemn inauguration on August 18, 1888, the day of the Battle of Gravelotte , two of those cast in bronze were personally present: Albert von Sachsen (1828–1902), at the time a general in the Franco-Prussian War, now the ruling king, and Field Marshal Helmuth Count von Moltke (1800-1891). Queen Carola of Saxony and Field Marshal Prince Georg of Saxony were also present. The Mayor of Leipzig, Otto Georgi , gave the keynote address.

After the Victory Monument had survived the Second World War and the " metal donations of the German people " to the armaments industry almost undamaged, it was at the request of the SPD in September 1945, for which Stadtbaurat Beyer (SPD) was the driving force, and without the knowledge of the Soviet headquarters dismantled and melted down in Leipzig from June to December 12, 1946 as a "symbolization of militarism". The whereabouts of a granite block of the base is known. He supplied the material for the Heinrich Heine monument in the garden area behind the Volkshaus . Contemporary witnesses are being sought for questioning about the whereabouts of the remaining blocks.

Construction details

The actual monument, which also had a square floor plan, was located on a six-meter-high, multi-tiered and upwardly tapering base made of dark green granite with a square floor plan. On the south side was the larger than life statue of the German Emperor Wilhelm I (1797–1888), who was shown seated under the imperial crown protruding from the monument. His head was wreathed with laurel, his right hand grasped the sword lying on his lap, his left the imperial orb .

Model of the equestrian statue for Count von Moltke

The bronze equestrian figures of Emperor Friedrich III stood at the four corners . , King Albert of Saxony, Prince Bismarck and Field Marshal Count Moltke. Eight standard-bearers from various units of the army were grouped around them, two of which each surrounded a figure on horseback: on the east side a Wuerttemberg (left) and a Baden (right), on the north side a Landwehrmann (left) and a Bavarian (right) on the west side a Braunschweiger (left) and a Saxon (right).

The 3.80-meter-high figure of the victorious Germania towered above the base and looked south. In her long, flowing cloak, with a winged helmet on her head , she rested her left hand on the eagle shield, her right hand held the sword in its sheath as a symbol of German love for peace. Three bronze plaques with the following inscriptions were set in the empty spaces of the pedestal:

  • on the east side: "Our fathers ardently longing, Germany's unity has been won."
  • on the north side: "Our brothers happily suffered death for the kingdom."
  • on the west side: "Grandchildren may exercise forcefully, it is difficult to hold Errungnes."

literature

  • Max Eschner: Leipzig's monuments, memorial stones and memorial plaques. With 81 full images. Wigand, Leipzig 1910
  • Michael Schulze: December 12, 1946. “Symbol of militarism.” The victory monument is torn down. - in: Leipzig historical calendar 2006. Lehmstedt Verlag, Leipzig 2005

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Claus Uhlrich: Gone - fates Leipzig monuments, memorials and sculptures. Verlagbuchhandlung Bachmann, Leipzig 1994, p. 40
  2. ^ A b Leipzig Lexicon: Victory Monument , accessed on November 29, 2012
  3. ↑ http://www.denkmal-leipzig.de/ : Museum asks for help: Fates of Leipzig monuments , 2014 , accessed on May 11, 2017
  4. ^ Berlin State Library - Prussian official press: Volume VII. No. 79. Latest news. Responsible editor: Dr. H. Klee. Berlin, Tuesday, August 21, 1888 , accessed on November 29, 2012

Web links

Commons : Siegesdenkmal (Leipzig)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 51 ° 20 ′ 27 ″  N , 12 ° 22 ′ 29 ″  E