Who could forget the Franco-Prussian War? Here at the Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71, the echoes of that conflict still linger. The Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71 stands as a poignant reminder of the 266 German soldiers who succumbed to their wounds in Karlsruhe’s hospitals. Originally, the city planned to place the memorial in the cemetery on Kapellenstrasse. They even had a burial plot prepared for the fallen soldiers. The initial design competition called for a monument with an allegorical statue. Two entries emerged: one by Hermann Volz, featuring Germania beside a dying warrior, and another by Friedrich Kohlhagen and Ernst Hischen, showcasing a domed structure adorned with cardinal virtues.
Volz’s design won in 1873. However, the project faced a delay. Funding wasn’t secured until 1874. During this time, the city decided on a new location for the Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71. Instead of a somber graveside memorial, they envisioned a victory symbol. The chosen spot, between Beiertheimer Allee and Ettlinger Strasse, also provided a visual counterpoint to the Georg-Ludwig-Winter-Denkmal. Finally, on September 2, 1877, the seventh anniversary of the Battle of Sedan, the Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71 was unveiled. Architect Heinrich Lang designed the stepped pedestal to mirror the Winter monument. Volz’s marble sculpture, depicting Germania offering a laurel wreath to a dying soldier, conveyed a sense of timeless idealism. In 1963, due to road construction, the Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71 found its final home in the Alter Friedhof. The multi-tiered base was removed during the move, allowing the sculpture to stand alone, its impact intensified. The inscription on the Kriegerdenkmal 1870–71 reads, “To the memory of the Germans who fell in the war of 1870 and 1871, resting here in the cemetery. The City of Karlsruhe.”