Waterloosäule

Waterloosäule stands in Hanover, Germany, as a victory column commemorating the Battle of Waterloo. Architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves designed the monument. Construction took place between 1825 and 1832, placing the column within Hanover’s nineteenth-century architectural history. A copper-and-iron statue of the goddess Victoria, designed by August Hengst, crowns it. Its base carries the names of fallen soldiers from the Kingdom of Hanover, preserving a direct link with military history. Captured field-cannon barrels stand vertically at its base. Inside, a spiral staircase leads to an observation platform with panoramic views across Hanover. The column also marks Hanover’s Red Thread walking trail. That walking trail runs through Hanover’s city centre, placing this historical landmark along its route. The monument survived Second World War bombing and has hosted public sports-viewing events. Its design brings together Laves’s architecture, Victoria’s figure, military objects, and a platform above the city. The monument presents history through metal, inscriptions, stairs, and a view over Hanover.