Herman the German
Encyclopedia
The Hermann Heights Monument is a statue erected in New Ulm, Minnesota
. The statue depicts Hermann the Cheruscan, also known by the Latin name Arminius
, but locals refer to the statue as Hermann the German. The only National Register of Historic Places
property of its kind in Minnesota
, the monument remains an impressive remembrance of German ancestry for many Minnesotans. Visitors to the statue can climb the spiral staircase to an observation platform at the base of the statue, which commands a view of the town and the Minnesota River
Valley below.
, a symbol of German
patriotism, pride, and joy.
While Arminius had been known about in Germany
since the rediscovery of the writings of Tacitus
in the 15th century, German Protestant intellectuals in the first half of the 18th century christened him "Hermann the German" and promoted his status from that of a local tribal leader with family ties to Rome to that of a hero
of German resistance to "Roman" (i.e. Papal) authority; the 19th century added another layer of meaning, namely Pan-German unity and resistance to Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Romance-language
France. As depicted in this statue, Hermann's westward gaze and upraised sword signify freedom from Rome
. Perhaps not coincidentally, a statue of St. Peter atop the nearby Roman Catholic Cathedral
of the Holy Trinity also gazes westward, with his sword point-down, planted firmly in the ground.
The Hermann Monument has a total height of approximately 102 feet. Constructed of sheet copper
molded over iron
, the 27-foot statue stands on a 70-foot iron column encircled by a spiral staircase
to the dome
, which is supported by 10 iron columns and a Kasota stone base.
statue in Detmold
, Germany, in 1875, the German-American fraternal order of the Sons of Hermann
, under the leadership of Julius Berndt, who headed the New Ulm chapter and was then national secretary of the order, paid for the erection of the American monument. Berndt designed the monument setting, for which the cornerstone was laid in 1888. The statue was created by Alfonz Pelzer of the Wm Mullins company in Salem, Ohio
and shipped to New Ulm. It arrived in 1890 and was dedicated in 1897. Structural and cosmetic restoration projects were carried out in 1998 and again in 2004.
The Hermann Heights Monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973. It is the third largest copper statue in the United States
after the Statue of Liberty
and the "Portlandia
" in Portland, Oregon
.
The 106th United States Congress
(2000) designated the Hermann Monument in New Ulm to be an official symbol
of all citizens of German heritage.
In August of 2009, a small fire at the base of the monument caused officials to question the structural integrity of the monument. As of this time, the monument remains open to the public.
New Ulm, Minnesota
New Ulm is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,522 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brown County....
. The statue depicts Hermann the Cheruscan, also known by the Latin name Arminius
Arminius
Arminius , also known as Armin or Hermann was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest...
, but locals refer to the statue as Hermann the German. The only National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
property of its kind in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, the monument remains an impressive remembrance of German ancestry for many Minnesotans. Visitors to the statue can climb the spiral staircase to an observation platform at the base of the statue, which commands a view of the town and the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
Valley below.
Significance
This statue commemorates the Germanic victory over the Romans at the Battle of the Teutoburg ForestBattle of the Teutoburg Forest
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius of the Cherusci ambushed and decisively destroyed three Roman legions, along with their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus.Despite numerous successful campaigns and raids by the...
, a symbol of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
patriotism, pride, and joy.
While Arminius had been known about in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
since the rediscovery of the writings of Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
in the 15th century, German Protestant intellectuals in the first half of the 18th century christened him "Hermann the German" and promoted his status from that of a local tribal leader with family ties to Rome to that of a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
of German resistance to "Roman" (i.e. Papal) authority; the 19th century added another layer of meaning, namely Pan-German unity and resistance to Revolutionary
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and Napoleonic Romance-language
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
France. As depicted in this statue, Hermann's westward gaze and upraised sword signify freedom from Rome
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. Perhaps not coincidentally, a statue of St. Peter atop the nearby Roman Catholic Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Holy Trinity also gazes westward, with his sword point-down, planted firmly in the ground.
Characteristics
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
molded over iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, the 27-foot statue stands on a 70-foot iron column encircled by a spiral staircase
Spiral staircase
Spiral staircase may refer to:* A type of stairway characterized by its spiral shape* The Spiral Staircase , a 1946 American psychological thriller film* The Spiral Staircase , a 1975 British film, a remake of the 1946 film...
to the dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
, which is supported by 10 iron columns and a Kasota stone base.
History
Following the completion of the similarly commemorative HermannsdenkmalHermannsdenkmal
The Hermannsdenkmal is a monument located in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in Germany in the Southern part of the Teutoburg Forest, which is southwest of Detmold in the district of Lippe...
statue in Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
, Germany, in 1875, the German-American fraternal order of the Sons of Hermann
Sons of Hermann
The Order of the Sons of Hermann, also known as Hermann Sons and by its German name as der Orden der Hermann's Soehne or Hermannssöhne, was formed as a mutual protection society for German immigrants in New York City on July 20, 1840....
, under the leadership of Julius Berndt, who headed the New Ulm chapter and was then national secretary of the order, paid for the erection of the American monument. Berndt designed the monument setting, for which the cornerstone was laid in 1888. The statue was created by Alfonz Pelzer of the Wm Mullins company in Salem, Ohio
Salem, Ohio
Salem is a city in northern Columbiana County and extreme southern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2000 census, the city's population was 12,197....
and shipped to New Ulm. It arrived in 1890 and was dedicated in 1897. Structural and cosmetic restoration projects were carried out in 1998 and again in 2004.
The Hermann Heights Monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1973. It is the third largest copper statue in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
and the "Portlandia
Portlandia
Portlandia is a sculpture by Raymond Kaskey located above the entrance of Michael Graves' Portland Building in downtown Portland, Oregon, at 1120 SW 5th Avenue...
" in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
The 106th United States Congress
106th United States Congress
The One Hundred Sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2001, during the last two...
(2000) designated the Hermann Monument in New Ulm to be an official symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
of all citizens of German heritage.
In August of 2009, a small fire at the base of the monument caused officials to question the structural integrity of the monument. As of this time, the monument remains open to the public.