The Hermann Memorial, or Hermannsdenkmal, stands on the Grotenburg hill in the Teutoburg Forest, southwest of Detmold, Germany. Ernst von Bandel designed it to honor Arminius, the Cheruscan chief who defeated Rome in 9 AD. The Verein für das Hermannsdenkmal, founded in 1837, raised the funds. It was inaugurated on August 16, 1875, with Emperor William I present.
The monument is 175 feet (53.5 meters) tall. Its pedestal rises 88 feet (26.9 meters) in local sandstone and is built as a round temple of ten columns carrying Gothic arches. The figure of Arminius is about 200 copper plates riveted over an iron frame. He wears a winged helmet and holds a sword.
Visitors can climb 75 steps inside the base for views over the forest. More than 530,000 people come each year. The site lies on the Hermannsweg hiking trail.
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