Niederwalddenkmal, National monument in Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany
The Niederwalddenkmal is a bronze and stone structure standing 38 meters tall above the Rhine near Rüdesheim am Rhein. The central figure Germania stands on a multi-tiered base, surrounded by additional sculptures and inscriptions distributed across the entire site.
The foundation stone was laid on 16 September 1877 in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm I, and the monument was inaugurated on 28 September 1883. The sculptor was Johannes Schilling, while the architecture and terraces were designed by the Dresden architect Karl Weißbach. The Germania figure was cast in the Royal Foundry in Munich and displayed there until 14 June 1883 before being shipped to Rüdesheim.
Germania raises the imperial crown in her right hand and holds the imperial sword lowered in her left. The main bronze relief below her pedestal shows 133 life-size figures around King Wilhelm of Prussia on horseback, and five of the six stanzas of "Die Wacht am Rhein" are engraved beneath it.
The monument is accessible daily and can be reached from the valley by cable car or through several hiking paths across the Niederwald forest. The viewing platform at the base of the statue offers wide views over the Rhine valley, and the route passes through wooded slopes with rest areas.
The Germania figure was cast in the Royal Foundry in Munich and displayed there until 14 June 1883. Its roughly 35-tonne weight was shipped in pieces on three rail wagons, then by barge from Worms to Rüdesheim. The heaviest single piece weighed 12 tonnes.
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