Hermannsdenkmal

The Statue of Herman () is a monument in the Southern part of the Teutoburg Forest,  in the district of Lippe, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.

The monument commemorates the Cherusci war chief Hermann or Armin (Latin: Arminius) and the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD when the Germanic tribes under Arminius fought three Roman legions and other troops under Varus. 

The sword has the following inscription:

German unity (is) my strength - my strength (is) Germany's might.

History

The monument is 53.46 m (173.39 ft) tall and was built according to plans by the sculptor Ernst von Bandel.

Building for the  statue was started in 1841, but was not finished until 1875 with the help of a lot of money from the state of Prussia. 

When building was started Germany was made up of lots of small countries.  Most of these were united into the Second German Empire in 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War.  The monument was seen as one of those helping to remind people of Germany's history and  national pride.

Tourism
The statue is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany with over 130,000 visitors a year. It is possible to climb up onto the base of the statue to look around the countryside

A similar Hermann Heights Monument exists in New Ulm, Minnesota, a town settled by German immigrants.

Related pages

 Walhalla (Hall of the Slain, Regensburg, Germany)
 Ruhmeshalle (Hall of Fame, Munich, Germany)
 Befreiungshalle (Hall of Liberation, Kelkheim, Germany)
 Heldenberg Memorial (in Austria)

Category:Buildings and structures in North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:Landmarks in Germany
Category:Monuments and memorials in Germany