A Visit to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, Germany

Photo by Paul Kapischka on Unsplash

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal in German) was completed in 1913 to commemorate the 1813 Battle of the Nation that took place in Leipzig. The battle saw Napoleon I defeated by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden and effectively ended the French presence in the east of Europe.

How to get there?

The monument is not quite in the center of the city, it is about half an hour’s tram ride north. 

What’s to see?

The monument is a colossal stone temple depicting massive god-like warrior figures both on its outside and in the interior halls. The archangel Michal stands on the ground of the temple’s exterior, with stone guards standing around the top floor. On the inside, the first-floor space features eight giant medieval knights joined by “the guards of the dead” statues. Four more of these figures stand on the top floor, each of them as high as 31 feet tall. 

Where to eat?

10 minutes’ walk from the monument is the perfect complement to this very authentic site – Schnittstelle 1845. Here you will find local home-style cuisine and seasonal offers. The place prides itself on being “the new living room”..