Statue of Bavaria

In front of the "Hall of Fame," in the suburbs of Munich, stands the statue of Bavaria, said to be in size second only to the great Colossus of Rhodes (one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World). It was unveiled with great enthusiasm on August 7th, 1850. The statue was cast from the bronze of captured Turkish and Norwegian cannon. The figure is distinctly German in feature, draped from the waist to the feet, with only a skin thrown over the upper body. A wreath of oak is held aloft in the right hand, a sword, pointing down, in the left hand. These symbols represent the twofold honor of Bavaria, military prowess and intellectual glory. At her side the Bavarian lion keeps guard. The figure is 61 1/2 feet high, the pedestal 28 1/2 feet, the total height 90 feet.

The interior is very remarkable. Through the back part of the pedestal a door leads to a stone staircase of 60 steps. The figure is hollow, and side passages lead into the lion. An iron spiral staircase leads by 58 steps up through the neck into the head, where there are two iron sofas and several openings for the enjoyment of a fine view of Munich and the Bavarian plain. The head contains standing room for thirty-one persons, the crown for eight persons.

It is said that on the day the figure was unveiled, twenty-nine men and two boys emerged from one of the locks of Bavaria's hair and descended a ladder amid the shouting of an astonished multitude. The arms are 24 feet 9 inches long; the nose one foot eleven inches, the mouth fifteen inches broad. A most interesting bird's-eye view of Munich can be had from the head.