Postcard of Koblenz Festung Ehrenbreitstein und Kaiser Wilheim-Denkmal-- the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein and Kaiser Wilhelm monument. ""At 118 metres above the Rhine, the fortress has the most fantastic views over Koblenz and the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, the second largest preserved fortress in Europe, was constructed in its present form between 1817 and 1828. Its origin dates back to the year 1000. ... Ehrenbert Conradine had the fortress built in the year 1000, from whose name �Ehrenbertstein� over time became the �Ehrenbreitstein�. In the 11th century the fortress passed into the ownership of the Trier Archbishop Poppo, whose successors expanded the facilities. The castle hill was enhanced with the Helfenstein fortress in the 12th century, this was later home to counts. Under Archbishop Richard von Greiffenclau in the 15th century there was construction to make the fortress secure against artillery. The fortress saw a brisk change of ownership during the Thirty Years� War. French troops besieged the fortress in 1797 and could only be forced to hand it over in 1799 by being starved out. The fortress was blown up in 1801. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Electorate of Trier for the Rhenish area passed to the Kingdom of Prussia. King Friedrich Wilhelm III ordered the expansion of Koblenz into a fortified city, making it one of the largest fortifications in Europe."" (http://www.koblenz-tourism.com/culture/koblenz-attractions/ehrenbreitstein-fortress.html) ""During its years of active service, the fortress had never been attacked. It escaped being dismantled after the end of World War I as a result of its perceived historical and artistic value. The American General Henry Tureman Allen, convinced of its historical value as a premier 19th-century fortress, prevented its intended destruction in 1922. It was occupied after 1919 by the US Army as their headquarters during the Occupation of the Rhineland, and after January 1923 it was occupied by the French Army."" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehrenbreitstein_Fortress) ""After the death of Emperor William I in 1888, his grandson William II wished to spark a nationalist cult around the ""founder of the German Reich."" In the following years the privately funded Kyffh�user Monument was erected and an Emperor William Monument was inaugurated in Porta Westfalica, both designed by the Leipzig architect Bruno Schmitz. Several other cities had also applied as installation sites and in 1891 William II decided upon the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers at Koblenz. After further landfills at the site and a large-scale collection campaign, the official ""Emperor William Monument of the Rhine Province"" was erected and solemnly inaugurated in the presence of the emperor on 31 August 1897. Bruno Schmitz again had drawn up the plans for a giant, over 37 metres (121 ft) high monument installed at the tip of the Deutsches Eck [German Corner], bearing an inscription quoting a verse by the Koblenz poet Max von Schenkendorf: Nimmer wird das Reich zerst�ret, wenn ihr einig seid und treu (""Never will the Empire be destroyed, so long as you are united and loyal""). Another inscription could be found at the statue dedicating it to Wilhelm der Gro�e (""William the Great""). The equestrian statue itself, 14 m (46 ft) in height, presented William I in a general's uniform, reminiscent of the Prussian victories in the ""German Wars of Unification"". His horse is roped by a winged female genius bearing a laurel wreath and the Imperial Crown. ... While the inner city of Koblenz was hit hard by Allied strategic bombing during World War II, the Deutsches Eck remained largely unscathed. On 16 March 1945, however, the statue was badly damaged by an American artillery shell. The Third US Army 87th Artillery unit led by Sergeant Loyd Watson fired upon it after the forward observer saw a German soldier depart from it. They assumed it was a base of operations and it was hit after 3 tries. Soon afterwards it was completely taken down. The French military government planned to replace the old memorial with a monument for peace and understanding among nations, but this concept was never realized. After the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in 1949, the country was divided into a capitalist west and a communist east. In order to express the deep wish for a united Germany, President Theodor Heuss turned the German Corner into a monument to German unity. As a result, the coats of arms of all German L�nder (states), including those of former German territories such as Silesia, East Prussia and Pomerania, were installed. Replacing the destroyed equestrian statue, a German flag flew over the plaza. After the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989, three concrete parts of the actual wall were installed next to the monument. On 3 October 1990, the emblems of the new federal states were added. With German Reunification in 1990, the German Corner no longer served as a symbol of the aspiration for a united Germany. Thus, a discussion arose regarding a remodelling of the plaza. Critics considered the reinstallation of the equestrian statue of Wilhelm I as out of time and improper, whereas promoters saw the opportunity for tourist benefits. As the owner of the site, any decision to reinstall a statue of Wilhelm I rested with the government of the Rhineland-Palatinate. However, the state government transferred its rights to the city of Koblenz and when Werner and Anneliese Theisen (a couple from Koblenz) announced that they would bear all costs for a reconstruction of the statue, the decision was made to proceed. The D�sseldorf sculptor, Raymond Kittl, was commissioned to produce a replica of the original sculpture and the remodelled statue was created from durable bronze cast unlike the original which had been made from copper plates. In May 1992, the parts of the statue were brought to Koblenz on board the MS Futura. The assembly work was completed at the port and on 2 September 1993 a mobile lattice boom crane lifted the statue onto the base. The installation took place on Sedan Day, which although no longer officially recognized, was the day on which the German victory in the Battle of Sedan was commemorated. On 25 September 1993, the new statue was inaugurated. Today, a big national flag and the flags of the 16 L�nder are flying at the German Corner as a reminder of German unity. The three parts of the Berlin Wall are now dedicated to the ""victims of the division."" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Eck)