Hermann the German - Hermann, Missouri
Posted by: YoSam.
N 38° 42.397 W 091° 26.259
15S E 635847 N 4285378
Germany's Liberator is in the middle of rural Missouri.
Waymark Code: WM12D23
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/02/2020
Views: 1
County of marker: Gasconade County
Location of marker: Hermannplatz; MO Hwy 19, foot of bridge and behind original City Hall
Sculpture: David and Nancy Eagerness
Erected by: Hermann Entrance Committee
Date Erected: September 24, 2009
Foundry: ICON Bronze, LLC
Marker Text:
HERMANN
Germania's Liberator
In the year A.D. 9 the warrior Hermann, then known as Arminius, led an army of northern Europeans to oppose a Roman intrusion into their homeland. In the ensuing Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, the annihilation of three Roman legions by Hermann's army has led historians to describe the battle as having changed the course of civilization.
The City of Hermann proudly recognize this hero as its namesake.
"Arminius (German: Hermann; 18/17 BC – AD 21) was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who is best known for commanding an alliance of Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, in which three Roman legions were destroyed. His victory at Teutoburg Forest would precipitate the Roman Empire's permanent strategic withdrawal from Magna Germania, and made a major contribution to the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire several centuries later. Modern historians have regarded Arminius' victory as Rome's greatest defeat. As it prevented the Romanization of the Germanic peoples, it has also been considered one of the most decisive battles in history, and a turning point in world history." ~ Wikipedia
To start, Hermann the German was not always referred to this way. His given name was Arminius but was changed to Hermann during the times of Martin Luther. Arminius was responsible for liberating parts of Germany from Roman occupation. This act, in turn, allowed Germans to leave and settle new areas in America. As a central character in the narrative of our historic town, getting this statue right was of utmost importance. " ~ City of Hermann