Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71

Nestled in the heart of Spremberg, Brandenburg, the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71 stands as a solemn tribute to the sons of the city who fell during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. This striking monument not only commemorates the local heroes but also serves as a poignant reminder of the town's historical and cultural heritage.

The History of the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71

Following the German victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War, a wave of nationalistic pride and gratitude swept across Germany. In Spremberg, this sentiment culminated in the formation of a committee on April 27, 1871, dedicated to erecting a monument in honor of the fallen soldiers from the 3rd Battalion of the 6th Brandenburg Infantry Regiment No. 52, which was stationed in the town. Tragically, more than half of the battalion's officers had perished in the conflict.

The citizens of Spremberg, along with various local associations, generously contributed to the cause, enabling the committee to solicit designs from various artists by 1872. On February 2, 1872, the master sculptor Thomas from Görlitz was commissioned to design and construct the war memorial. The chosen site for the monument was the Kugelplatz on the western tip of Georgenberg, a location that provided a clear view of the monument from the town's marketplace, situated approximately 200 meters away.

The Design of the Obelisk

The resulting memorial, designed by Thomas, took the form of an obelisk crafted from gray Silesian marble, sourced from a quarry in Gnadenfrei in the Owl Mountains. The monument was assembled from five individual elements resting on a four-tiered pedestal, which itself stood 68 centimeters high. The structure included a lower base, a name block, a cornice, an intermediate base, and the obelisk's pyramid. Crowning the monument was a bronze-colored eagle, made from gray cast iron, with an impressive wingspan of 1.5 meters.

The dimensions of the obelisk were meticulously detailed:

• The lower base: 630 mm in height, with the broadest side measuring 1350 mm at the bottom and 1035 mm at the top.
• The name block: 1425 mm in height and 1000 mm in width.
• The cornice: 380 mm in height, with the broadest side measuring 1350 mm at the top and 1035 mm at the bottom.
• The intermediate base: 200 mm in height, with the broadest side measuring 1050 mm at the bottom and 935 mm at the top.
• The pyramid: 3200 mm in height, with the broadest side measuring 925 mm at the bottom and 430 mm at the top.

The entire monument, including the pedestal and the eagle, reached a height of approximately 7 meters. The names of 172 fallen soldiers were engraved in gold letters on the name block, while decorative elements, including a 500 mm Iron Cross, laurel wreaths, and a large W for Wilhelm I, adorned the pyramid. The total cost of the project initially estimated at 1000 Thaler, eventually rose to 1500 Thaler.

The Inauguration and Subsequent History

On October 25, 1872, the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71 was officially inaugurated in a solemn ceremony attended by town representatives, relatives of the fallen soldiers, and members of the 6th Brandenburg Infantry Regiment. The procession, accompanied by the tolling of bells and mourning music, made its way from the marketplace to Georgenberg, where the monument was unveiled amidst great public participation.

Despite surviving World War II with minimal damage, the obelisk was dismantled in 1946 by order of the district administrator Neugebauer, based on Directive No. 30 of the Allied Control Council, which called for the removal of all military and Nazi monuments erected after August 1, 1914. However, this directive did not explicitly apply to the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71, leading to its controversial destruction.

In the 1970s, the former site of the obelisk was covered by an observation terrace, complicating efforts to locate and restore the monument. After the political changes in East Germany in 1989, there were several attempts to find the obelisk, but these were hampered by conflicting eyewitness accounts and the possible removal of parts of the monument.

The Rediscovery and Restoration

In 2016, a georadar survey conducted by the Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation identified several non-natural objects beneath the observation terrace. Subsequent excavations in 2018 and 2019 uncovered intact parts of the obelisk, including the name block and the pyramid, albeit with missing metal appliqués and the eagle.

The discovery of these parts prompted the city of Spremberg to develop a comprehensive monument preservation plan for the area, which included the goal of re-erecting the obelisk at its original location. However, due to the preservation status of the observation terrace, the obelisk could not be restored to its exact original site.

In August 2021, the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71 found a new home in the center of Spremberg, on the remnants of a former park. The restored monument now stands as a testament to the town's enduring respect and remembrance for those who sacrificed their lives in the Franco-Prussian War.

Today, visitors to Spremberg can reflect on the town's rich history and pay their respects at the Kriegerdenkmal 1870/71, a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and the enduring spirit of the community.