Völkerschlachtdenkmal

Völkerschlachtdenkmal

The Völkerschlachtdenkmal (English: "Monument of the Battle of the Nations") is a monument in Leipzig, Germany, to the Battle of Leipzig of 1813, also known as the Battle of the Nations. It is one of Leipzig's main landmarks and the largest monument in Europe. Paid for entirely by donations and a lottery, independently of the state, it was completed in 1913 for the 100th anniversary of the battle.

There were Germans fighting on both sides, as Napoleon's troops included Germans from the French-occupied left bank of the Rhine as well as from the Confederation of the Rhine due to mandatory conscription. The monument commemorates Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig. This was a crucial step towards the end of hostilities, which was, in essence, a victory for the German peoples. Additionally, it mourns the dead from all the nations involved, not only the German soldiers.

The structure is 91 metres tall, making it the tallest monument in Europe. It contains over 500 steps to a viewing platform at the top, from which there are spectacular views across the city and its environs. The structure makes extensive use of concrete, although the facings are of granite.

The monument is widely regarded as one of the best examples of Wilhelmine architecture, with several features comparable to sketches of the Temple of Solomon and the work of Freemasonry. It is said to stand on the spot of the bloodiest fighting, where Napoleon saw his army destroyed. The architect of the monument was Bruno Schmitz, and the carved figures, including the 5.5 metres (18 feet) high "Totenwächter" ("Guards of the Dead", or "Keepers of the Vigil of the Dead") are the work of sculptors Christian Behrens and his one-time apprentice Franz Metzner. The construction work took place over a period of 15 years under the direction of Clemens Thieme.

In front of the monument there is an artificial rectangular lake intended to symbolise the blood and tears shed during the wars. The so-called "Régates de Baquet" (a bathtub race) has taken place in this lake every year since 1991, an attempt to "unmonopolize" the so-called ideologies inherrent in such "overtly nationalistic structures".

thumb|300px|right|">Varying ideographic representation: at left, a statue of the archangel Michael watches to protect against invaders. Within the dome, the feature is forlorn reliefs, reflecting the human cost of a war where the German lands again suffered as the staging ground (right).Some view its style as overbearing and pompous, and the statuary which dominates the entire structure is intended to evoke mythic images of Germanic heroism, of the sort propounded by Richard Wagner. If the monument has a nationalist tone, however, then it is in the sense that a nation should be united, rather than split into parts that are forced to fight each other, as Germans were obliged to in that battle.

Hitler exploited the monument to the full, and chose it as a frequent venue for his speeches when in Leipzig.

During the period of communist rule in East Germany, the government of the GDR was unsure whether it should allow the monument to stand, since it represented the staunch nationalism of the period of the German Empire. Eventually, it was decided that the monument should be allowed to remain, since it represented a battle in which Russian and German soldiers had fought together against a common enemy, and was therefore representative of "Russo-German Brotherhood-in-arms" (German: "Deutsch-russische Waffenbrüderschaft").

The monument is currently under restoration, with work scheduled to be finished by 2013, the year of the two-hundredth anniversary.

The Monument of the Battle of Nations is located in the south-east of Leipzig and can be reached by tram lines 15 and 2 (stop: Völkerschlachtdenkmal).

Similar buildings

Voortrekker Monument

External links

* [http://www.voelkerschlachtdenkmal.de/final/index.htm The Monument's homepage]
* [http://www.nato-leipzig.de/badewannenrennen/index.html Homepage of the annual bathtub races]
* [http://www.denkmalchor-leipzig.de Homepage of the choir of the Monument]
* [http://www.schillerhaus-leipzig.de/voelkerschlachtdenkmal/voelkerschlachtdenkmal_start_en.htm Extensive information in English]
* [http://www.waltlockley.com/architecturalsculpture/figuralleipzig.htm Völkerschlachtdenkmal in the context of Metzer's career, with photos]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Volkerschlachtdenkmal — Völkerschlachtdenkmal 51° 18′ 44″ N 12° 24′ 47″ E / 51.31224, 12.41308 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Völkerschlachtdenkmal — Völkerschlachtdenkmal,   das 91 m hohe Erinnerungsmal an die Völkerschlacht 1813 bei Leipzig, im Süden vor der Stadt 1898 1913 von C. Thieme nach dem Entwurf von B. Schmitz errichtet; den figürlichen Schmuck schufen F. Metzner und Christian… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Völkerschlachtdenkmal — Denkmal mit Spiegelung im vorgelagerten „See der Tränen um die gefallenen Soldaten“ …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Völkerschlachtdenkmal — El Völkerschlachtdenkmal (con visitantes) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Völkerschlachtdenkmal — 51° 18′ 44″ N 12° 24′ 47″ E / 51.31224, 12.41308 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Antikhotel am Völkerschlachtdenkmal — (Лейпциг,Германия) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: Prager Str …   Каталог отелей

  • Apartment Am Völkerschlachtdenkmal — (Лейпциг,Германия) Категория отеля: Адрес: Prager Strasse 191, 0 …   Каталог отелей

  • Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig — Das Stadtgeschichtliche Museum Leipzig als Einrichtung der Stadt Leipzig sammelt, dokumentiert und präsentiert in seinen Ausstellungen Objekte, Informationen und Kontexte des Stadtgeschehens von der Stadtwerdung Leipzigs im frühen Mittelalter bis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Leipzig — Wappen Deutschlandkarte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Leipziger Völkerschlacht — Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig Teil von: Befreiungskriege Szene aus der Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”