Perhaps strength can be found in remembrance. The Hessendenkmal stands before us. It is a monument to the soldiers of Hesse. They fell on December 2nd, 1792. The city was under attack by the French army.
The Hessendenkmal was King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia’s idea. He wanted to honor the Hessian soldiers. They died retaking Frankfurt from the French. The monument stands where many of these soldiers fell. This was near the Friedberger Tor.
Johann Christian Ruhl designed the Hessendenkmal. He did something new. The names of all the fallen grenadiers are on the base. Usually, only officers were named. The north side of the base lists names.
Let us read some inscriptions. One says: “Hier starben den Tod der Helden.” This means: “Here died the death of heroes.” After this are listed the names. There is one colonel, Prinz Karl von Hessen-Philippsthal. There are six officers, six NCOs, and one drummer. Finally, 41 ordinary soldiers are listed.
The west side has a Latin inscription. It speaks of comrades in arms. They died gloriously retaking Frankfurt. Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia, ordered this placed here. He was a witness to their virtue and constancy. Later, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV restored the monument in 1844. His grandfather had first erected it.
The front, or east side, says: Friedrich Wilhelm von Preussen, den edlen Hessen, die im Kampf fürs Vaterland hier siegend fielen. This translates to: Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, to the noble Hessians, who fell here victoriously in battle for the fatherland.
The south side, facing the city, simply states: MDCCLXXXXII am 2 ten Dec:. This is the date 1792, December 2nd.
“Verteidigung gründet auf Stärke” is the motto. It means: “Defense is based on strength.” The monument uses symbols. Strength is shown by a marble cube. It rests on basalt blocks. It is said that each block represents a fallen soldier. The cube represents the unpredictable nature of war.
Defense symbols include a ram, shield, helmet, and Hercules’ club. Hercules used the club to defeat the Nemean lion. The lion’s skin hangs over the base’s edge.
Here is a fun fact. A satirist mocked the Hessian lion in the 1990s. He pointed to the defeated lion on the Hessendenkmal in court. He tried to defend himself. He was told that the monument does not depict the Hessian coat of arms.
The Hessendenkmal had to be moved slightly in 1971. This was because the Friedberger Landstrasse was rerouted.
The Hessendenkmal reminds us of the past. It honors those who fought and died here. It also shows how symbols and meanings can be complex. They are open to interpretation.