Statue of an iron Paul von Hindenburg in Berlin

1915

When the First World War began the countries waging war on eachother began to request war bonds from the public to make what was necessary for victory. Germany’s answer was to build gigantic statues of knights, Iron Crosses, fierce animals, and German war heroes. No other held so much status at the time as Paul von Hindenburg, a soldier since 1866 and a Field Marshall (later Chief of the General Staff) during the First World War.

Located opposite of the Reichstag the public would purchase nails, which cost between 5 and 50 pfennig (equivalent of pennies), which would be driven into the statue. These statues turned out to be a great success, both for the military and the civilians at home.