Hermann the German has been watching over the southern Minnesota city of New Ulm for 129 years. The copper statue stands on top of a 102-foot tall monument, pointing a sword to the sky as it overlooks the Minnesota River Valley on top of the hill at Hermann Heights Park off Center Street.
For decades, local residents and visitors alike have climbed up the 99 circular stair steps to the top of the monument, stood beneath Hermann and taken in the stunning, 360-degree view of the city and the Minnesota River Valley from the observation platform.
“When I think of New Ulm, it’s the German heritage; and oftentimes, Hermann the German comes up,” said Holly Beckmann, 38, of Mankato. “That’s like the symbol of New Ulm is Hermann the German.”
But Hermann needs help, as decades of severe water and weather damage leaves New Ulm’s iconic symbol of German pride in need of significant repairs. The city recently got a cost estimate as stunning as the monument itself: a whopping $11.6 million.
Joey Schugel, director of New Ulm’s Parks and Recreation, said the city is exploring several possible funding streams to help foot the nearly $12 million bill.
“We’re really not looking to impact the local taxpayer with this project,” Schugel said. “This is a bigger project … so we are looking for some legacy dollars through the state of Minnesota or a bonding bill.”
The statue of Hermann the German himself, one of the largest copper statues in the U.S., was taken down in 2004 and refurbished. This time, the restoration project would be focused on the monument’s base, the dome and everything else that leads up to the statue.
There’s “significant evidence of water damage” to the central stone column at the base of the monument, which is crucial to the structural integrity of the monument, according to a 2024 analysis of the damage conducted by MacDonald & Mack Architects. Flaking limestone and rusting steel components are the most visible signs of wear and tear.
The New Ulm City Council is expected to review the estimated repair and restoration costs at its next meeting on April 7.
However, that $11 million-plus cost estimate isn’t set in stone. Schugel said the actual cost might change depending if some of the columns or the steel staircase are found to be in good enough condition to be reusable.
New Ulm’s city council established a “Hermann Restoration” fund a couple of years ago with $300,000 and added another $100,000 from a budget surplus in 2024. City leaders are also building momentum within the community to preserve the Hermann Monument. Schugel said there’s been interest by local groups in starting fundraising campaigns that could have a local match, and the city is seeking state and federal government grant funding for the project.
“The community is really committed to keeping Hermann around if possible,” Schugel said, “and that’s really why we’re working really hard to come up with this funding to be able to deconstruct and reconstruct.”
To many in New Ulm, the monument is much more than a symbol of pride honoring the area’s German heritage. It’s a significant economic driver for New Ulm, bringing in more than 10,000 visitors a year — many from around Minnesota and the Midwest — but some come from all around the world to see it and climb up it.
It’s likely that the project — depending if funding is secured — would take a few years to complete. Schugel also said that the extensive work will likely affect Hermann the German’s historic status and will probably result in the monument being removed from the National Registry of Historic Sites.
“No matter how it was deconstructed and reconstructed it would [get removed],” he said. “It’s our understanding that once the project is completed, then we can reapply to have Hermann back on that national historic registry.”
Locals react
Many New Ulm residents seem to support the effort to rehabilitate the Hermann Monument, though some note that the $11.6 million price tag is a lot, and they’d like to avoid using local tax dollars as much as possible.
“[Hermann’s] been there for as long as I’ve been alive,” said Gary Rubey, 74, of New Ulm. “It’s always, always present. It’s strange if it was gone. It’d be nice if [the city] could do it without tax money. But if that’s the final option, fine.”
And due to the popularity of Hermann the German, Rubey said city officials might be able to raise enough in private donations or get a state grant to pay for the repairs, sparing local taxpayers.
“I think there’d probably be a lot of donations,” he said. “And if they can get it, good. It should be fixed.”
Some New Ulm residents hope that the effort to restore the monument gains more support, like Holly Beckmann. She said she hasn’t had the chance to climb up to the top of the Hermann Monument, but she enjoys having this giant historic relic in the center of town, and she doesn’t “like to see things go.”
“I’ve always wanted to take my kids there and to make sure that it is safe for little kids,” Beckmann added.
Others agree, saying Hermann the German is a huge part of the community’s identity and that they can’t imagine New Ulm without him.
“That would be horrible, because out of my bedroom window upstairs, I can see Hermann,” said Kathy Rubey, 75, of New Ulm and Gary’s wife. “I would miss looking out that bedroom window, and go, ‘There’s Hermann’.”