Commemorating the Dedication of the Germania Monument by Emperor Wilhelm I

After emerging triumphant in the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War, the newly formed German Empire embarked on an extensive monument-building project. One of the most celebrated of these immense and elaborate architectonic structures is the Niederwald Monument, designed to commemorate the German victory over France. The monument, unveiled in 1883 to an awe-struck public, inspired pilgrimages to the scenic site in Rudesheim on the river Rhine. Those unable to visit the monument—or those who wanted a memento of their visit—could acquire an object invested with patriotic sentiment, such as this medal. It presents the dignified portrait of the first German Emperor, Wilhelm I, in full regalia on the obverse, and the monument on the reverse. The relief of the monument is particularly well defined and detailed. The colossal statue of Germania, atop the monument, was a potent symbol of the country’s budding national consciousness.