The Monument to the Battle of Nations [Völkerschlachtdenkmal] was designed by architect Bruno Schmitz and built on the outskirts of Leipzig between 1897 and 1913 with funds collected by the German Patriots’ League [Deutscher Patriotenbund]. The largest memorial in Germany, it commemorates the October 1813 battle between Napoleon’s forces and an opposing coalition of mostly Prussian, Austrian, Russian, and Swedish forces. The battle ended in a French defeat. Little about the monument commemorates the battle itself; rather, it is a tribute to German national power. It reflects the belief that the year 1813 initiated Germany’s resurgence as a national community.
The first image shows the monument from the outside while the second image shows a view of the interior, the so-called Ruhmeshalle [hall of honor] with one of the sculptures by Franz Metzner, titled Opferbereitschaft [willingness to sacrifice].