Victory Column in Berlin

The Victory Column was erected as a symbol of triumph in the unifying Prussian wars against Denmark, Austria, and then France in the second half of the 19th century. The author of the project was the architect Heinrich Strack (Heinrich Strack).

The official opening ceremony of the Victory Column took place in 1873, while it was exactly timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the victory in the battle of the French Sedan, September 2. The opening ceremony was attended personally by Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck.

The Victory Column was mounted on a pedestal made of red granite, initially it consisted of three parts, and instead of decorations, gilded trophy guns crowned with gilded laurel wreaths were used: Danish on the lower, Austrian on the middle, and French on the top. Continue reading →