The Kaiser's men’s medals

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-02-2024, 11:18 PM

Between Bismarck and the emperor, the Bavarian general Jakob von Hartmann and the Prussian marshal Leonhard von Blumenthal shake hands. The two have such a prominent position in the painting because they had played a prominent role in the invasion of France and the siege of Paris.

Immediately after the emperor is his son, heir and promoter of the painting: Crown Prince Frederick. The white-coated man on the far left is the Duke of Coburg-Gotha. He was the brother of Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

The third version, the one that has come down to us, is the one that the government commissioned from the painter to give to Chancellor Otto von Bismarck on the occasion of his 70th birthday in 1885. It is virtually identical to the second version except for a few details....

At the emperor's wish, the Minister of War, Albrecht von Roon, was included in the composition, although he had not been present at the ceremony. To do this, von Werner had to sacrifice the handshake between Jakob von Hartmann and Leonhard von Blumenthal.

The 4th and final version was a huge mural (canvas on wall) for the main hall of a high school in Frankfurt Oder, the painter's hometown. Only this photo survives of it and nothing is known about the canvas since 1945.

Photograph of the place where the fourth version of von Werner's work was

That unexpected trip by the painter Anton von Werner would be the most important of his life. He was introduced to the Emperor, Bismarck, von Moltke and the rest of the leaders present, becoming a sort of official painter of the new empire on his return to Germany.

He was appointed professor at the Berlin Academy of Art in 1873 and was its director from 1875 until his death in 1915. He also directed the National Gallery from 1909. He even gave painting lessons to Wilhelm II, who became emperor after the death of his grandfather and father.

Today, however, he is forgotten, both at home and abroad. In part it is the "curse" of painters who enjoy great fame and success during their lifetime, whose paintings fill national institutions and therefore do not go abroad and are not known.

Werner's conservative view of art clashed head-on with modern art in the 1890s. The artistic production of the Wilhelmine era, represented by Werner, was the victim of a unanimous and radical rejection in German art criticism after the end of World War I and the fall of the monarchy.

I personally love his work. And of course the image I have of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 is mainly due to his work.

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-02-2024, 11:28 PM

For those nostalgic for Berlin and Unter den Linden of other times, a series of images of the place where the best-known version of this painting we talked about today was....

Aerial view in the 1920s

Hitler's speech in 1941 (under the cannon)

After an allied bombing in 1943. The painting is clearly seen in the background

After WWII

in the 80s

**VtwinVince** · 06-03-2024, 12:05 AM

Great deep dive into this iconic image Santi. Most probably know that Wilhelm was not keen on becoming emperor, as he regarded being King of Prussia as a much higher honour (I agree with that sentiment), and his coronation in the Stadtschloss at Koenigsberg in 1861 was a major event which he didn't want to have usurped by the events at Versailles. It took the assurance that he would be both King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany to get him on board, hence documents start with 'Wir Wilhelm, von Gottes Gnaden Koenig von Preussen'.

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 10:45 AM

A new postcard has arrived to the collection. The postcard is a view of Berlin's National Memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I with the obverse of the centenary decoration.

This gave me the idea of photographing it together with the medal and miniature of the centenary of Kaiser Wilhelm I...

This will allow us to talk about two fantastic monuments of Imperial Berlin and their history. It is difficult to talk first about one and later about the other because they are directly related, but you have to start with one and I have chosen to do it with the Kaiser Wilhelm I National Monument.

When a few days ago we talked about the painting of the proclamation of Kaiser Wilhelm I, we walked along the Avenue of Unter del Linden to the place marked with a red dot on this postcard of Berlin: the German Historical Museum.

Now we must travel the final meters of Unter den Linden and cross the Spree canal on the Schlossbrücke.

In front of us on our left the Lustgarten and the Berlin Cathedral in the background. On our right is the Berlin Palace (Berliner Schloss) and the National Monument (National Denkmal) that we are going to talk about.

In this other image we can see them better (1925 aerial view)

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 10:51 AM

Das Kaiser-Wilhelm-National Denkmal

After the death of Wilhelm I in 1888, the Reichstag decided in 1891 to hold a competition for the construction of a national monument in his honour, on the banks of the Spree canal, in front of the Eosander portal of the Berlin Palace.

The construction of the monument corresponded to the sculptor Reinhold Begas (1831-1911). The architectural part of the complex was designed by architect Gustav Halmhuber (1862-1936)

Construction work began in June 1894 with the demolition of the row of houses in Schloßfreiheit and the mill pit vault.

On August 18, 1895, the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Gravelotte, the foundation stone was laid and the monument was unveiled on March 22, 1897 as part of Kaiser Wilhelm I's centenary celebration.

The project cost four million marks at the time, we must think that at the beginning of the century, other European monarchies also began to build great national monuments. (the Monument to Maria Theresa in Vienna, the Monument to Victor Emanuel in Rome or the Monument to Victoria in London).

This model shows the location in front of the Hohenzollern Castle, currently the Humboldt Forum captivates.

Berlin Nationaldenkmal Kaiser Wilhelm 1900

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 10:55 AM

We can find many postcards of the monument, although mine is the most interesting for military collectors because it has, as we said, the centennial medal of Kaiser Wilhelm I.

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 11:09 AM

The monument

The entire monumental complex was built on a wide base that went into the Spree. This elevated area surrounding the rider could be reached via nine steps from the sidewalk and was suitable for national festivals of all kinds.

The mill moat passed under the base of the building and flowed into the Spree canal on the north side.

At the center of the 21-meter-tall monument stood the 9-meter-tall equestrian statue of the emperor, accompanied on the left by a female allegory of peace.

At the corners of the pedestal of the equestrian statue were four winged goddesses of victory. On the surrounding steps stood a monumental allegory sitting on the left and right sides of the equestrian statue. To the north was Mars, the god of war, leaning on a sword and wearing magnificent Roman armor. On the south side, there was an allegory of peace, leaning serenely backwards. At the front of the staircase was the imperial crown and at the back the armor of the knight Siegfried from the Nibelung saga, with a small dragon perched on his helmet.

Four lions rested on the four pedestals that protruded from the base of the monument, guarding trophies made from captured flags and cannons. The steps and seat pedestals were made of polished red wirbogranite sourced from Sweden. The long sides of the base were, according to the allegories, decorated with a relief of war to the north and a relief of peace to the south. On the narrow sides of the base, which were provided with plaques, were the following inscriptions on the front and back:

WILLIAM THE GREAT, GERMAN EMPEROR, KING OF PRUSSIA, 1861–1888.
IN GRATITUDE AND FAITHFUL LOVE, THE GERMAN PEOPLE.

Detail one of the four lions on the monument's pedestal

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 11:18 AM

The equestrian statue was framed on the three sides opposite the castle by a sandstone gallery formed by attached Ionic columns, which was closed at the ends by two pavilions at the corners.

The floor of the room was covered by a magnificent mosaic. The mosaic depicted the names of the states of the empire and the insignia of the emperor.

On the cornice at the front of the hall, four groups of sandstone figures represented the kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg.
Above the groups of figures from Saxony and Bavaria rose monumental bronze eagles, of which one is still preserved.

Looking at the monument from the front, above the pavilion in the north corner of the gallery, a Bavarian personification on a quadriga, holds the reins with one hand, and with the other arm an Aquila. Above the pavilion in the south corner is the personification of Borussia (Prussia) who holds the reins of the other enormous bronze quadriga.

From the monument, looking towards the palace: Schloss Eosander Portal

It must be acknowledged that, after the inauguration, Kaiser Wilhelm National Monument received mixed artistic appraisal. Certainly, the monument belongs to the Wilhelmine monumental culture, along with the Siegesallee and the Bismarck National Monument, which was originally erected in front of the Reichstag building....

**TabsTabs1964** · 06-23-2024, 11:28 AM

The fighting of the November Revolution of 1918 caused minor damage to the national monument. The monument was repaired.

During the National Socialist era there were plans to demolish the monument to make way for a new Reichsbank building.

Let's see some images from this period...