In June 1894, construction began with the demolition of the houses that lined the street between the canal and Eosander Portal of the Berlin Palace. On August 18, 1895, the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Gravelotte, the foundation stone for the memorial was laid. During a ten-day centennial celebration held for the 100th anniversary of Wilhelm I's birth, the monument was inaugurated on the late Emperor's birthday, 22 March 1897. The construction cost was four million marks, and represented a considerable sum when compared with the soon to be built Old Town Hall, which cost only seven million marks to construct.