Historiensäule in Koblenz, Bronze column and fountain in Koblenz, Germany

The Historiensäule is a bronze column and fountain on Josef-Görres-Platz in the old town of Koblenz. It stands about 35 feet (10.6 meters) tall and features ten stacked scenes that depict the city's history from Roman times to the present.

The state of Rhineland-Palatinate gave the fountain and column to Koblenz for the city's 2000th anniversary, commissioned in 1992. Sculptor Jürgen Weber's work was handed over on 1 June 2000, delayed by illness. It stands where the Goeben monument, honouring General August Karl von Goeben, stood from 1884 until shortly after World War II.

The ten scenes run from a Roman castellum settlement to the rebuilt city of today, with a wine-laden boat at the base and the 1944 air raids near the top. The square itself is named after Joseph Görres, born in Koblenz in 1776, who campaigned for democracy and freedom.

The square is open all day, so you can visit early in the morning or in the evening when it is less crowded. Walk around the column to see the details from different angles, and take a moment to sit by the fountain if you need a rest.

The column stands where the Goeben monument, honouring the Prussian general August Karl von Goeben, stood from 1884 until shortly after World War II; the city removed it and renamed the square after the Koblenz-born publicist Joseph Görres, born in Rheinstraße in 1776. The 10.59-metre column weighs 3.6 tonnes and cost 1.25 million DM.