Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal)
Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Rhine Valley. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Rhine Valley Rhine Valley guide
About Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal)
A colossal 19th-century Germania statue on the wooded hills above Rüdesheim, built to mark the 1871 founding of the German Empire. A frankly nationalist monument, reached by cable car.
The Niederwalddenkmal is a colossal monument in the Niederwald hills above Rüdesheim am Rhein in Hesse, overlooking the Rhine. It was built between 1877 and 1883 to commemorate the founding of the German Empire in 1871. Its dominant feature is a bronze statue of Germania holding the imperial crown and the imperial sword. Including its base the monument stands about 38 metres tall, and the Germania figure alone is roughly 12.5 metres high and weighs some 75 tonnes. The sculptor was Johannes Schilling and the architect Karl Weißbach of Dresden.
Kaiser Wilhelm I laid the foundation stone in September 1877 and attended the inauguration on 28 September 1883. A large bronze relief on the pedestal shows Wilhelm I on horseback among German rulers and military figures, and stanzas of the patriotic song 'Die Wacht am Rhein' are inscribed below it. Funded by public donations and a state subsidy, the monument is reached from Rüdesheim by cable car.
Did you know? Germania is no small figure: the statue alone stands roughly 12.5 metres tall and weighs about 75 tonnes, while the whole monument, base included, rises to some 38 metres above the Niederwald hills.
How long is a visit to Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal)?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal) worth your time?
Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal) is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Rhine Valley, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Rhine Valley
Day 1 of the Rhine Valley in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Niederwald Monument (Niederwalddenkmal)
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