Pomnik nachodzki w Poznaniu, Military memorial monument in Old Town, Poznań, Poland
The Kriegerdenkmal Posen was a military monument located at Plac Wolności in front of the City Theatre, featuring a bronze lion with an open mouth positioned above a captured Austrian cannon. Around the base stood sculptured figures of four commanding generals, with inscribed plaques naming fallen officers.
The monument was inaugurated in 1870 to commemorate Prussian soldiers who fell during the 1866 Battle of Nachod in the Austro-Prussian War. It stood as a lasting tribute to that military victory for nearly 50 years until its removal in 1919.
The memorial embodied Prussia's influence over the city after territorial annexation in 1793, serving as a visible marker of political change in Poznań's public space. It demonstrated how monuments shaped how people understood their city's allegiance and history.
The monument was positioned at a main city square directly facing the Theatre building, making it easy to locate from street level. It was removed during the night of April 3, 1919, so visitors today can only see the empty space and understand the monument through historical records.
The lion stood with its front paws firmly resting on a captured Austrian cannon, a symbolic gesture representing Prussian military dominance over its enemy. This striking image made the message of victory impossible to miss for anyone passing through the square.
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