Beneath the stoic gaze of the stone lion lies a tale of remembrance. This is the Lӧwendenkmal in Dortmund. It stands as the city’s oldest small monument. It was unveiled on October 17, 1869, as a memorial to the German War.
The Lӧwendenkmal’s design traces back to Karl Friedrich Schinkel. His designs were initially for Gerhard von Scharnhorst’s tomb. Here at the Kriegerdenkmal, it commemorates Dortmund’s soldiers. They fell in the Battle of Kӧniggrätz in 1866. The base has a sarcophagus shape. Atop it rests a sleeping lion. This symbolizes the slumbering strength of the fatherland. The names of the fallen are etched on its broad side.
Originally, the Lӧwendenkmal stood proudly before Dortmund’s main train station. This was on Kӧnigswall. But progress beckoned. In 1910, the monument had to move. The train station needed expansion.
The relocation sparked debate. The “Westliche Buergerverein” even crafted a mobile copy. It was a 1:1 replica. They paraded it across various locations. This was done to find the perfect new home. In 1910, Hohe Wall became a temporary resting place for the Kriegerdenkmal.
By 1914, the Landwehrverein found a new spot. It was on the Kӧnigswall of that era. This section began near Burgtor. It stretched straight to today’s Schmiedingstraße junction. The Kriegerdenkmal was expanded significantly. A multi-tiered platform was added. So was a reflecting pool.
The Kriegerdenkmal faced upheaval after the Second World War. The expanding city needed space for cars. The monument was first stored in a municipal depot. Finally, in 1952, it found its present home in Westpark.
The city extensively restored the Kriegerdenkmal in the mid-1980s. It earned landmark protection. It stands as a reminder of Dortmund’s past. The Lӧwendenkmal embodies strength and sacrifice.
But there is also the Kriegerdenkmal on the Hohensyburg. The citizens of Hohensyburg erected it within the castle ruins. It honors their heroes fallen in the First World War. A fallen warrior lies on a catafalque. A grounded eagle watches over him.
Dortmund sculptor Friedrich Bagdons created the Hohensyburg Kriegerdenkmal. It was dedicated in 1930. The Second World War heavily damaged Hohensyburg. The original 1870-71 war memorial fell victim to bombs.
In 1957, restoration efforts included new plaques for the Second World War victims. They also incorporated the salvaged inscription. It honored the heroes of 1870-71.
The inscription reads “To the memory. To the living for admonition.” It lists the names of those from the community. They died in the war of 1870-71.
Another Kriegerdenkmal stands on Kruckeler Straße in Dortmund-Grossholthausen. In 1937, Fritz Richter-Elsner was commissioned by the city to create a war memorial. The laying of the foundation stone took place in 1938.
The Kriegerdenkmal was completed in 1939. The unveiling took place on March 10, 1940 during the Second World War.
These Kriegerdenkmäler are places of reflection. Each Kriegerdenkmal tells a story. They stand as testaments to Dortmund’s complex history. They remind us of sacrifice and remembrance.