Hermann the Cheruscan, (sculpture).

Hermann the Cheruscan, (sculpture).

Pelzer, Alfonso, d. 1904, sculptor.

Berndt, Julius, 1832-1916, architect.

W. H. Mullins Company, founder.

Milwaukee Bridge and Iron Works, fabricator.

Hermann the Cheruscan, (sculpture).

Hermann Monument, (sculpture).

Hermann Arminius, (sculpture).

Cornerstone laid June 24, 1888. Sculpture fabricated 1889. Dedicated Sept. 25, 1897

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: copper sheeting over steel armature; Base: Kasota stone, concrete, brick.

Sculpture: approx. H. 33 ft.; Base: approx. H. 60 ft. (2 tons).

Full-length portrait of German folk hero Hermann the Cheruscan stands atop an octagonal gazebo. He holds a sword in his raised proper right hand. His proper left arm rests on a massive shield by his left side. The figure wears a tunic, helmet, trousers and a mantle that drapes over his proper left shoulder and arm, and partially covers the shield. The sculpture, made of copper sheeting over a steel frame, is installed on the roof of a stone gazebo. There is a spiral staircase that leads to the gazebo roof.

Portrait male -- Arminius, Hermann -- Full length

Ethnic -- German

Occupation -- Military -- Soldier

Outdoor Sculpture -- Minnesota -- New Ulm

Architectural component

Administered by City of New Ulm, Parks Department, New Ulm, Minnesota 56073

Located Hermann Park, New Ulm, Minnesota

Formerly administered by Sons of Hermann Lodge, New Ulm, Minnesota 1888-1929.

Erected by the National Sons of Hermann Lodges in honor of Hermann Denkmal the Cheruscan, a German warrior who led several tribes in 9 A.D. to defeat Roman invaders. In 1875, a monument to him created by Ernest Von Bandal was erected in Detmold, Germany near the location of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. The American memorial to Hermann the Cheruscan was started in 1888, based on plans of architect Julius Berndt, one of the founders of New Ulm. The cost was $24,000, which was raised though the contributions of German-American organizations across the country. The cornerstone for the memorial was laid June 24, 1888. The figure of Hermann was created by Alfonzo Pelzer and was fabricated by W. H. Mullins Company. The interior framework was produced by Milwaukee Bridge and Iron Works. The base was designed by Julius Berndt.

Administration of the monument was transferred from the Sons of Hermann Lodge to the City of New Ulm in 1929, after the Lodge was disbanded. The Hermann Monument is a registered Minnesota historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. IAS files contain the text of a nearby plaque and excerpts from "Hermann: From Legend to Symbol," by Arnold Koelpin.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Minnesota survey, 1995.

SOS Assessment Award, 1998.

Inventory staff, 2000.

SOS Conservation Treatment Award, 2001.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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