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Monuments for Otto von Bismarck

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen (b.1815 Schönhausen, d.1898 Friedrichsruh) became known as the founder and first chancellor of the German Empire. In 1862 he was appointed Prime Minister of Prussia by King Wilhelm I. In the same year he also obtained the post of Foreign Minister. From 1867 on, he was Chancellor of the North German Confederation. After the victory of Prussia in the French-German War of 1870/1871 and the proclamation of Wilhelm I as first German Emperor Bismarck served as Chancellor of the Empire until 1890. He is nicknamed the Iron Chancellor ("der Eiserne Kanzler"). He was made the Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen in 1865, and in 1871 became Prince (Fürst) of Bismarck. Upon his dismissal in 1890 he was made the Duke of Lauenburg, although he never used this title (and even returned any mail adressed to him under this title).

Two ships of the German Imperial Navy, as well as a battleship from the World War II era, were named after him. Also named in his honour were the Bismarck Sea and Bismarck Archipelago (both near the former German colony of New Guinea), as well as Bismarck, the state capital of North Dakota. Numerous statues, monuments and so-called 'Bismarck towers' were erected in his honour. The following glasses in this collection show some of these monuments:

The following Monuments for Otto von Bismarck are depicted on glasses of this collection:

Bismarck towers: | Apolda | | Bensheim | Brandenburg an der Havel | Göttingen | Gubin | Morhange | Netzschkau | Osterwieck | Salzgitter | Spremberg |
Bismarck monuments: | Berlin | Chemnitz | Großenhain | Hamburg | Magdeburg | Zeulenroda-Triebes |
Ships: | Fürst Bismarck |
other: | Celje | Crimmitschau | Graz | Naunhof | Neustadt an der Orla |

——— Bismarck towers ———

Apolda

Glass no. 4666: Apolda (D)

The Bismarck tower [bottom right picture] of Apolda is one of the 17 still existing examples of this type of monument in Thuringia. The tower was erected in 1902–1904. It has a total height of 23.75 metres and has an observation deck at 19.65 metres. Transmission and reception systems for antenna television were installed in the early 1970s so that it was no longer accessible for visitors. It was made accessible again in 1974, but had to be closed again in 1994 due to structural reasons. Since 2004 it has been open again as an observation tower on weekends during the summer months.

Glass no. 2646: (CZ)

The Bismarck tower of Aš is located on the Háj (Hainberg) hill (758 m), immediately north of the town. The stone observation tower (height 34 metres) on the summit was inaugurated in June 1904. It was designed by the Dresden architect, Wilhelm Kreis. The tower still stands and is one of the three Bismarck towers on the territory of the Czech Republic.

Bensheim

Glass no. 3773: Bensheim (D)

The Bismarck tower [left, no. 3773: bottom right picture] on the Hemsberg (262 m), often called Hemsbergturm, was built in 1897–1902 to commemorate Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor (1871–1890) of the German Empire. The round tower has a height of 19 metres. On its southeastern side an elevated platform covered by a hipped roof served as a visitors area. The open parts below the roof were closed by walls and windows in the 1950s.

Brandenburg an der Havel

Glass no. 1043: Brandenburg an der Havel (D)

The Bismarckwarte was erected in 1905–1908. The tower was renamed Friedenswarte ('peace look-out') in 1958. It was blown up in 1974 and was replaced by a concrete and steel construction.

Göttingen

Glass no. 711: Göttingen (D)

The Bismarckturm (height 31.5 m) on the Hainberg (Kleperberg) was erected in 1892–1896. The tower is open to the public and offers a splendid view on Göttingen.

Gubin

Glass no. 1608: Gubin (PL)

The bottom right pictures shows the Bismarck tower which was built in 1905–1908. The brick tower was erected on a floor space of 12 by 12 m and had a height of 27 m. The cost was 49,000 Marks. The tower was blown up in 1945.

Hamburg

Glass no. 2310: Hamburg (D)

The Bismarck-Denkmal (monument for Otto von Bismarck) [left] was inaugurated in 1906. WIth a total height of 34 metres (statue 15 metres, pedestal 19 metres) it is the tallest monument in Hamburg. The Berlin sculptor Hugo Lederer created the statue in 1903–1906, using granite blocks from the Black Forest. Bismarck, the founder and first chancellor of the German empire, is shown looking out to the sea and supporting himself on a sword, which is an allusion to medieval 'Roland' figures, the symbol of free cities. The figures on the pedestal, symbolising the German tribes, were created by Lederer and the architect Johann Emil Schaudt. The monument is probably the best-known of all Bismarck monuments. It is located in the Elbpark near the jetties of St. Pauli. The site was occupied in old times by the bastion 'Casparus' of Hamburg's old fortifications. Inside and underneath the monument there is an extensive system of chambers and catacombs, which during World War II were used as air raid shelters. Due to security reasons, the interior is not accessible to the public any more.

Magdeburg

Glass no. 3738: Magdeburg (D)

The monument for Otto von Bismarck [bottom right picture] was created in 1899 by the sculptor Karl Echtermayer. It was located in Scharnhorstplatz. The monument was demolished in 1951.

Zeulenroda-Triebes

Glass no. 2905: Zeulenroda-Triebes (D)

The Bismarckstein [bottom right picture] in Triebes was created around 1912 as a memorial to Otto von Bismarck, Prussian Prime Minister and first Chancellor of the German Emprire. The monument was removed at an unknown date.

Morhange

Glass no. 1732: Morhange (F)

The top left picture shows the Bismarck Column. The monument was built in 1899–1901. It was the first monument of its kind in Lorraine. Among the many such monuments for Bismarck in the German Empire, this one was one of the smaller examples with a height of only 7 metres. The design was created by the architect Wilhelm Kreis. The monument was demolished in 1918. Kreis also designed the impressive Bismarck tower in (Czech Republic), which still exists today.

Netzschkau

Glass no. 3206: Netzschkau (D)

The Bismarck Tower [near left, no. 3206: bottom left picture] was built in 1900 on the Kuhberg, the highest elevation (5116nbsp;m) in the Vogtland region. The massive stone tower has a total height of 21 metres. Towards the late 1960s the tower had fallen into severe disrepair so that it had to be closed for the public. After a thorough renovation in 1973/74 it could be reopened for visitors.

Osterwieck

Glass no. 2298: Osterwieck (D)

The bottom right picture on glass vase no. 2298 [left] shows the Bismarck tower. The tower was erected in honour of Otto von Bismarck, founder and first Chancellor of the German empire. The construction (19.25 m high) was built in 1901–1904. In 1946 it was discussed to demolish the tower. However, it was saved and was renamed Friedensturm (Peace Tower) in 1950. It retained this name until after 1995 when it was renamed again after Bismarck.

Salzgitter

Glass no. 2950: Salzgitter (D)

The Bismarck tower [top picture] on the Hamberg hill (272 m) was built in 1900. It is one of only three of its kind constructed in iron. Unlike the other two iron towersin Bielefeld and Hasselfelde-Trautenstein (today part of Oberharz am Brocken), which are entirely built from metal, this tower (12 m) rests on a stone base (5 m). The tower was renovated in 1990 and 2002.
Note: on glass no. 2950 the labelling reads: "Bismark-Turm", which incorrectly spells the name of Otto von Bismarck omitting the 'c'.

Spremberg

Glass no. 798: Spremberg (D)

The Bismarckturm [bottom left picture] (24 m high) on top of the hill Georgenberg was erected in 1902–1903. After World War II, the tower was named "Georgenbergturm", but received its original name again in 1991.
——— Bismarck monuments ———

Berlin

Glass no. 091: Berlin (D)

The monument for Otto von Bismarck in front of the Reichstag [bottom right picture: foreground, barely visible] was created by Reinhold Begas, although originally another project had won the competition for the monument. The monument was unveiled on 16 June 1901 on Königsplatz (today Platz der Republik) in front of the Reichstag building. In 1939 the monument was moved to its present location at the northern corner of the Großer Stern. It is one of Berlin's largest monuments (total height 15 m, length 20 m, width 12 m).

Chemnitz

Glass no. 2671: Chemnitz (D)

Glass no. 2671 [left] also shows three monuments standing in front of the Old Town Hall [foreground right]: The monument for Emperor Wilhelm I [centre], the monument for Chancellor Otto von Bismarck [left], and the monument for General Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke [right]. The monuments were unveiled on 22 June 1899, but were removed in 1945 for ideologic reasons.

Großenhain

Glass no. 2118: Großenhain (D)

The bottom right picture shows the Bismarck monument.
——— Ships ———

Fürst Bismarck

Glass no. 2233: In this collection allocated to: Hann. Münden

Steamships were used on the Weser river from 1843 onwards. For a long time travel by ship was cheaper than travel by rail so that the ships remained popular until the early 20th century. In 1851 the shipping company "Oberweser Dampfschifffahrt" offered a daily downstram connection from Hann. Münden to Hameln via Bad Karlshafen where the ships stopped to wait for the arrival of the trains from Kassel, Marburg and Eisenach. On four days a week the journey continued from Hameln to Minden and Bremen. On further seven days a month the ships were reserved for the transport of emigrants who continued their journey to the US or Canada from Bremen or Bremerhaven. The journey by ship from Hann. Münden to Bremen took three days, the onward journey to America further eight to ten days. The best-known ships on the Weser river were the paddle wheel steamer "Kaiser Wilhelm" (named for German Emperor Wilhelm I), "Kronprinz Wilhelm" (the later Emperor Wilhelm II; the ship previously had been named "Meißen") and "Fürst Bismarck" (founder and first chancellor of the German empire). The "Kaiser Wilhelm" still operates as a museum ship on the river Elbe near Lauenburg, the remainders of the "Kronprinz Wilhelm" are exhibited in the German National Maritime Museum of Bremerhaven; the fate of the "Fürst Bismarck" is not known.
——— other ———

Celje

Glass no. 937: Celje (SLO)

The picture on glass no. 937 shows the  Celjski dom [left, no. 937] (Celje Hall, old name Nemška Hiša, in German: Deutsches Haus, i.e. German Hall) built in 1907 in Neo-Gothic style on the square Krekov trg is one of many splendid buildings from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The labeling on the glass "Bismarckplatz" refers to the previous German name of the square.

Crimmitschau

Glass no. 1466: Crimmitschau (D)

The picture on glass no. 1466 shows the Bismarckbrücke, a small bridge over an artificial grotto in the former Bismarkhain (Bismark Gardens). The park was laid out in 1895–1899 on the occasion of the 80th birthday in 1895 of Otto von Bismarck on the site that had been occupied by the old town cemetary from 1549 until 1865. The bridge, financed by a private donation, was built in 1901. The park was renamed Friedenspark (Peace Park) in 1946.

Graz

Glass no. 010, 1156: Graz (A)

The name of the square see glass Am Eisernen Tor ("At the Iron Gate") is derived from the former town gate which stood in this place. In the early 15th century the name "eysnein Tur" (Iron Gate) probably referred to an armoury within the gatehouse. When the town fortifications were enlarged in the Renaissance, the new gate built in 1570/74 was also called "eyseres Tor" (Outer Gate). The square was created when the fortifications of the town were pulled down in 1860. At the first the square was named "Eisenthorplatz", later "Auerspergplatz" after Anton Alexander Count Auersperg (the poet Anastasius Grün). The fountain on the square was created in his honour too. Between 1899 and 1947 the square was called "Bismarckplatz" (as inscribed on the glasses). In 1928 the Türkensäule (Turks Column), which commemorates the victory over the Turks at Mogersdorf in 1664, was transfered from the Jakominiplatz onto this square. (The picture on the glass shows the square without the column.)

Naunhof

Glass no. 2317: Naunhof (D)

The bottom left picture shows the Fürst-Bismarck-Hütte, named for Otto von Bismarck, the founder of the German empire in 1871.

Neustadt an der Orla

Glass no. 4071: Neustadt an der Orla (D)

The bottom picture on glass no. 4071 is labeled Bismarckstraße. Around 1500, the street was known Breite Gasse ('wide alley'), since 1848 it was called Breite Straße ('wide street'). In 1895 parts of it were renamed Carl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, but already one year later it was renamed for Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German Empire. Since 1946 it is named Ernst-Thälmann-Straße, leader of the Communist Party of Germany from 1925 to 1933.

 


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