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Monument to the Battle of the Nations, Leipzig

Elisabeth Yorck von Wartenburg
May 2, 2016

In 1813, the Battle of the Nations was fought all around and in Leipzig. It was the bloodiest battle in European history until World War I. A colossal monument commemorates the fallen soldiers.

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Völkerschlachtendenkmal
Image: Sandor Jackal - Fotolia.com

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig stands as a tribute to freedom and the soldiers who died for it. At 91 meters, it’s Germany’s tallest national monument. It was dedicated in 1913 for the centennial of the Battle of the Nations, in which coalition armies from Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden dealt Napoleon’s Grande Armée its first major defeat. An estimated 600,000 troops from over twenty nations took part in the battle, and close to 100,000 fell in action. The artificial reflecting pool at its base symbolizes the tears of the nations mourning their dead.

Elisabeth Yorck
Elisabeth Yorck von Wartenburg Author, editor, planner, social media manager