Antique Cabinet Card Photograph. Identified as the Niederwald Monument in Niederwald, Germany. Measures approximately 8 x 10 including mount. Condition: This is an original photograph, not a copy or reproduction. It is in exellent condition. Comments: The Niederwald monument (German: Niederwalddenkmal) is a monument located in the Niederwald, near Rudesheim am Rhein in Hesse, Germany, built between 1871 and 1883 to commemorate the Unification of Germany. The monument is located within the Rhine Gorge, a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site. It overlooks the Rhine Valley and the town of Bingen on the far side. The monument was constructed to commemorate the founding of the German Empire in 1871 after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. The first stone was laid on 16 September 1871 by Kaiser Wilhelm I. The sculptor was Johannes Schilling, and the architect was Karl Weisbach. The total cost of the work is estimated at one million gold marks. The monument was inaugurated on 28 September 1883. The 125 foot tall monument represents the union of all Germans. The central figure is the 34 foot tall Germania figure. Her right hand holds the recovered crown, and her left holds the Imperial Sword. Beneath Germania is a large relief depicting Kaiser Wilhelm I riding a horse with the nobility, army commanders, and soldiers. The relief has the lyrics to "Die Wacht am Rhein" (Watch on the Rhine) engraved. The right side of the monument is considered the "peace statue", while the left is considered the "war statue."