Hercules monument, Kassel, Monument in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel, Germany
The Hercules monument in Kassel is a landmark structure in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with a copper statue placed on an octagonal foundation and a pyramid base below. The entire complex is organized into several levels connected by stairs and platforms.
Landgrave Karl von Hessen-Kassel commissioned the construction between 1701 and 1717 to create a symbol of enlightenment and the ancient world. The work lasted over a decade and a half and permanently changed the silhouette of the hill.
The name Hercules covers both the copper figure and the whole structure, which starts the summer water features: water released from the Octagon runs down the cascades on Wednesdays and Sundays from May to October. The figure stands on a pyramid atop the Octagon, not on an obelisk, and faces east down the baroque axis toward Kassel.
The climb to the structure follows paths and stairs through the park, with the final stretch becoming fairly steep. Anyone wishing to experience the monument in connection with the water features should plan a visit between May and October.
The statue's copper skin hides a wrought-iron skeleton made by Kassel blacksmith Johann Balthasar Klocke, while Augsburg goldsmith Johann Jacob Anthoni hammered the plates between 1713 and 1717. The raw copper came from mines in the Richelsdorf hills, and the head was formed from four half-shells. The tuff of the Octagon and cascades is soft and weathers quickly, especially through frost.
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