Koblenz German Monument Wilhelm I (#0612)

The monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I at the Deutsches Eck (German corner). The naming of the intersection of the Rhine and the Mosel as the German Corner dates back to 1216, though the creation of a monument at the site was much later. The original Kaiser Wilhelm I monument was inaugurated in 1897 to honor Wilhelm I for the creation of the German state.

The statue was destroyed in WWII, but the pedestal was re-instituted as a monument for German unity in 1953, when Germany was divided into East and West Germany. When I visited in the late 1960’s, the pedestal was still empty; a reconstruction of the original statue to Wilhelm I was dedicated in 1993.

The statue is much larger than it looks – 14m (46’). If you look at a larger version of the picture, you can see that there is someone climbing up to the pedestal at a staircase on the left.

Source: www.koblenz-touristik.de/kultur/sehenswertes-koblenz/deutsches-eck.html (in German)

(Part of a documentation of 2018 exploration/reflection on Brexit and populist movements in Europe, keyword Europe2018)