The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-10-30
IMPOSING MONUMENT
IS ERECTED ON GROUND
WHERE NAPOLEON LOST
rallest Shaft In World Com
memorates Liberation Of Ger
many From Els Rule.
GREAT CELEBRATION HELD
W Personal Note Connected With
eNautifui Pile Unveiled Today on
Historic Site Of "EattIs Of
The Nations"

Leipsic, Germany. Special: on the
Held OF the battle OF the nations"
Nhere Just 100 years ago the defeat
pf Napoleon by the allies virtually re-,
quilted I'm the liberation or Germany,
therc was dedicated today one OF the
most imposing battle monuments In
khe world. The ceremonies were nota-
PIE even In this year OF historic an
niyerSartes In Germany.
Inc Hovereigns OF Austria, Russia
fnd Sweden, the nations that fought
Nth Prussia to break the power Of
Napoleon In Germanic Europe, sent
kneiF personal representatives. and vi,
me federated princes and mayors OF
kne EeTman empire were present. Their
post Is King Frederick August III, OF
paxony. sixth in line Of direct descent
Erom that King Frederick August ],
VINO fought with Napoleon against the
allies; whose troops deserted to the al
Lee ON the decisive day, and who him
ncif, yainly appealing for terms, was
taken 70 Berlin and keps O virtual
prisoner for three years.
Story Of Battle.
The structure dedicated Is today by
BAR p largest and highest In Europe.
e stands Just south az Leipsic, near
Rrobstheida, the Village out 81 which
khe allies drove Napoleon on October
y. 1913. the decisive day Of the "bat-
kio Of nations" The fight had then
ragged for six days between the Aus
0lhns. Prussians. Russians and Swedes
on the n side and the French, aided
~ the Saxons and -Wurttembergers on
me other when the deciding day came.
On ne following day Napoleon aban&
G0ned the contest, leaving behind 78,-
200 Of his army OF 10000 men. Is, 900
OF them dead. The allies, at a loss OF
el,vv0 from q total strength OF about
NM nm u hnd Yr1ndn EnrnooAwr g.. 49,
foreign domination to the banks Of the
Rhine. g.
The idea OF q monument on the bat
uefieid was preached In the following
year by Ernst NORTH Arndt, and found
support from q humber of prominent
and from o Russian diplo-
mat. An organization was formed at
tLeipsic to keep alive the memory Of
the battle, but a king In captivity fur
nished grounds for abandoning the
movement The monument idea came
up FROM time to time In the succeed
niversary OF h battle, the foundation
stone OF a monument was laid.
Then came the wars of 1854, 1866
and 1901, and II remained for the
German i PatriotS' association, formed
m Leipsic In 1894, to take the matter
fup y carry 1t to a successful o n
sary money had been raised. d design
by Prof. Bruno Schmitz haS been ac-
oepted, and the first sod wrs turned
Tor the work On October is, 1898.
No Personal Note.
The monument stands on a Kill about
400 feet above the level OF The sur
rounding country. It Is approached by
g flight OF Ito steps hewn In granite.
On the base OF the monument. at the
head OF the stairs is an impo;Shg re-
Lei, $50 feet long and so feet VILE, the
work of Christian Behrens. In fe9 GEN.
ter OF IA relief IL q heroic h9idge Of
Saint Michael. On each side az him
Eairies with torches hover over bat
letters six feet high, is the motSH of
the anti-Napoleon warriors: Goth Nit
Uns." (God with us.) ~.
The monument rises to a height of
nearly 500 feet. It Is Of reinforced
c~oncrete. faced with porphry on the
8r0uad Is a crypt, surrounded by eight
gigantic stone masks, representing
fate. In front OF each mask stands
TWO warriors, twice life side. holding
the death watch. Above this crypt IS a
rotunda, enclosing the hall OF fame.
About the walls sit -four figures, two
male and two female. even times life
size. They represent courage, sacrifice.
exaltation and belief. The figures are
thesEEork OF Prof. Franz Metzner.
i around the outside OF the domed Gu
pOi&gwhtch surmounts the monument
gtatts IL gigantic warrior figures. The
interiors of three Of them are occupied
by winding stairs inc an elevator, CIV
ing access to a balcony near the top Of
khe monument. %
One striking thing is noted in con-
nection with all the statues, not one
represents any prince or sovereign. The
uprising against Napoleon In 1919 was
an uprising of the people, not of their
rulers. and the new monument Is a
monument OF the people. There is not
personal note about II.