Monument to Kaiser Wilhelm near Dortmund (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal)

The huge monument is clearly visible from the A1 motorway, that is how we spotted it. There is a similar monument nearby, in Porta Westfalica, there has recently undergone a big reconstruction.


The monument was built from 1893 to 1902 as one of the national monuments of the German Empire. In 1935 it was completely remodelled in the style of National Socialist architecture. The statues of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince Friedrich Karl were removed, while the statues of Otto von Bismarck and Helmut von Moltke remained in their modified form. The original view can be seen in an old wikipedia photo.




The site was not chosen by chance. Archaeological research on Mount Syberg shows that the first fortifications here date back to the Neolithic period. The Westphalian Saxons occupied the site around the year 700. During the Saxon Wars, in 772, Sygiburg was captured by the Franks led by Charlemagne.

The ruins of the old castle can still be found on the mountain, not far from the Kaiser Monument. It is a castle dating back to 1150, built by the archbishops of Cologne during the expansion of the country in the 12th century.




Views from the observation deck near the monument.




Getting there: car park 51.421972, 7.487806. The nearest bus stop is Syburg, use bahn.de to find the route.