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Kyffhäuser Monument

The Kyffhäuser Monument is a memorial to German Emperor Wilhelm I, located in the Kyffhäuser mountain range in Thuringia, Germany. It was built between 1890 and 1896 among the ruins of the medieval Kyffhausen Castle near Bad Frankenhausen. Designed by architect Bruno Schmitz, it is the third-largest monument in Germany. Schmitz also designed the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig and the Emperor William Monument in Porta Westfalica. The monument reaches a total height of 81 m and stands on a rocky summit in the eastern ridge of the Kyffhäuser, at an elevation of 420 m.

Kyffhäuser Monument with a large equestrian statue above a carved stone arch and seated bearded figure.
The Kyffhäuser Monument in Thuringia, showing the towering equestrian statue and the seated figure below.
November 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kyffhäuser Monument with a large bronze equestrian statue in an arched alcove, flanked by seated bronze figures.
The Kyffhäuser Monument features a dramatic bronze equestrian statue set into the stone façade.
September 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kyffhäuser Monument seen from below, framed by green trees against a clear sky.
The Kyffhäuser Monument rises above the treetops, with part of the stone statue base visible below.
August 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Kyffhäuser Monument’s Barbarossa Tower rises in reddish-brown stone above a paved forecourt with benches and planting beds.
The Barbarossa Tower at the Kyffhäuser Monument, shown with the surrounding forecourt.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Crowds gather beside buildings on the plateau below the Kyffhäuser Monument, including a stone building and a modern café terrace.
Buildings and visitors on the plateau below the Kyffhäuser Monument.
August 1969 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleKyffhäuser Monument
Alternative namesBarbarossa Monument; Barbarossadenkmal; Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal auf dem Kyffhäuser; Kyffhäuserdenkmal
TypeMonument
SubjectEmperor William I

Historical context

Historical periodWilhelmine era
Construction dates1890–1896
DedicationIn honor of Emperor William I and associated with the Wilhelmine era
Historical settingBuilt among the ruins of the medieval Kyffhausen Castle
Monument proposal byDeutscher Kriegerbund (German Warriors' League), renamed Kyffhäuserbund in 1900

Creator

Architect / designerBruno Schmitz (1858–1916)
Other works by Bruno SchmitzBattle of the Nations Monument in Leipzig; Kaiser Wilhelm Monument at Porta Westfalica
SculptorsNikolaus Geiger; Emil Hundrieser

Location and ownership

VisibilityVisible from nearby valleys and from mountain ranges many kilometers away
Visitor statusPopular excursion destination for local residents and tourists
Museum exhibitionMuseum exhibition located behind the monument in the remains of the imperial castle
Site featuresBuilt into the remains of the upper and lower castle; includes a deep castle well, fortress walls, old gate remains, and a castle museum
Included inRoad of Monuments (since 2008)
LocationKyffhäuser mountain range, Thuringia, Germany
Specific siteOn the ruins of the medieval Kyffhausen Castle, near Bad Frankenhausen, in the municipality of Kyffhäuserland/Steinthaleben, Kyffhäuserkreis
Nearby placesBad Frankenhausen; Tilleda; Kelbra
Terrain settingOn the summit of a rock ridge on the eastern ridge of the Kyffhäuser, overlooking the Golden Aue plain

Physical characteristics

Tower height57 m
Barbarossa figure height6.5 m
Wilhelm I equestrian statue height11 m
Group heightAlmost 11 m
Group weightAbout 16 tonnes
Elevation of site420 m above sea level
Castle summit elevation439 m above sea level
Stairway247 steps
Total height81 m

Materials

Wilhelm I equestrian statue materialBronze with 2–3 mm copper sheathing
Main building materialLocal Upper Carboniferous red Kyffhäuser sandstone
Barbarossa figure materialSandstone; carved on site from several solid sandstone blocks
Hindenburg monument materialBavarian porphyry

Technique

StyleMonumental style; Neo-Baroque
Architectural treatmentMassive stone construction with rough-hewn stones resembling Hohenstaufen ashlar masonry

Appearance

Main compositionA tower crowned with an imperial crown, with a sandstone statue of Frederick Barbarossa below and a bronze equestrian statue of Wilhelm I above
Barbarossa depictionFrederick Barbarossa is shown awakening, with one hand on his beard; one eye is covered, giving him an Odin-like appearance
Crowning featureImperial crown
Accompanying figuresA Mars figure, a Minerva figure, a German warrior, and a woman with a quill and an oak-leaf wreath
Wilhelm I depictionWilhelm I is shown as a general on horseback, wearing a Pickelhaube and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross

Iconography and meaning

Barbarossa legendBarbarossa is expected to awaken and rise again when Germany needs his guidance
Monument themeWilhelm I is presented as completing the German national unification long desired since the time of Barbarossa
Political interpretationExpresses imperial nation-building, integration of non-Prussian populations, and imperial ambitions at internal, European, and global levels
Symbolic meaningPresents the German Empire as the legitimate successor to the medieval Holy Roman Empire; also symbolizes national decline and rebirth

Significance

NotabilityOne of the best-known Kaiser Wilhelm monuments and a major sight in Thuringia
Rank in GermanyThird-largest monument in Germany

History and restoration

Inauguration date18 June 1896
Caretaking organization since 1900Kyffhäuserbund / Kyffhäuser Association
Restoration period1994–2014
Restoration cost14 million euros
Postwar demolition demandLocal communists from Bad Frankenhausen demanded that the Kaiser Wilhelm monument be blown up
Response to demolition demandSoviet cultural officers rejected the demand
Hindenburg monumentA Paul von Hindenburg figure was installed on 6 May 1939, thrown down and buried in 1945, and partially excavated in 2004; its future remains undecided