"Sankt Augustin: The Siegfried statue in Sankt Augustin stands largely unnoticed on Niederberg. The monument is a memorial against fascism and war.
By Jill Mylonas, 22.10.2017
Undressed, he stands with his legs apart on a massive altar-shaped base and holds a sword in his right hand. The four-metre-high Siegfried statue has been on Konrad-Adenauer-Straße in Hangelar since 1938. It is surrounded by a rampant lawn, and a semicircular tree-like position of beech and lime trees frames the stone figure. The entire complex is one of the few older relics on the "Alte Niederberg" and is a monument to the fallen soldiers of the First World War.
It was created by the Cologne sculptor Adalbert Hertel, who also created a Buisdorf memorial to the fallen. The figure made of Eifel basalt lava and its substructure measures more than five metres. With a base width of four metres, it takes up a lot of space in the area. Nevertheless, the entire work does not immediately catch the eye from the street. The clearing on which it stands is on the edge of a forest and a few metres from the main road.
The monument, which makes an unkempt impression, is a testimony of the time and interesting from an art-historical and historical point of view: on the left side of the substructure the year 1914 is largely engraved and documents the beginning of the war. In addition, the year 1918 for the end of the war can be seen on the right-hand side. A martial inscription engraved on the base also points to the statue's function: "Light Weir - Holy Weapon - Help My Eternal Oaths" is written there in capital letters. With the sword held by Siegfried, the overall appearance is reminiscent of the dagger-blow legend, a conspiracy theory of the German Army's supreme command. They saw the blame for the failure of the German Reich in the First World War with social democracy.
The figure was controversial among the Hangelar population because of its unclothed condition, according to reports from the city archives at the time. This led to a long discussion about a suitable location in the community. "Finally, everyone involved agreed on a wooded square on the road to Hoholz, far outside the town centre at the time," says Eva Stocksiefen, spokeswoman for the city of Sankt Augustin.
The statue still stands there today and therefore remains largely unnoticed. "This stone work has been listed as a historical monument since 1991," says Stocksiefen. Bronze plaques on the base block provide corresponding explanations of the figure of the idealised-medieval warrior. The following lines are written directly below the warrior: "This statue of Siegfried was erected in 1938 as a memorial to the dead of the First World War. The National Socialist worldview abused the Germanic mythical figure Siegfried as a symbol of the combat-ready hero. May this statue be a warning to us and future generations to outlaw fascism and war.
This plaque has only been hanging on the front of the pedestal since 1996. Stocksiefen refers to sources from the city archive and says: "There was a detailed discussion and a corresponding resolution of the Cultural Committee. The statue of Siegfried is to be understood today as a memorial against fascism and war.
Many residents are not really familiar with the monument. This is mainly due to the remote location and the weathered condition of the entire plant. The slippery mud around the monument does not invite you to pause and remember. "Besides, there are hardly any seats," says Dominik Antruejo. "There are two park benches a long way away, but the place seems neglected overall. " In addition, no signs would point to the important monument, nor would it be clearly visible. The archaeology and history student finds this a pity, since the Siegfried Monument is an important object of the past. He would like the city to pay more attention and care to this monument."