Völkerschlachtdenkmal & Museum FORUM 1813

About the museum

The Völkerschlachtdenkmal (Battle of the Nations Monument) commemorates the Battle of Leipzig of 1813 and was dedicated in 1913, a hundred years later. The design is by Bruno Schmitz; the 91-meter monument is made of concrete and granite porphyry and includes a crypt with knight figures, colossal figures almost ten meters tall, and a 68-meter domed hall. From the observation platform, the view reaches far across Leipzig and the surrounding area.

For more than nine decades, the structure was hardly renovated. Only from the early 2000s did a restoration begin that lasted about twenty years, accompanied by considerations of how to present the monument to today's visitors. In 2002, the Stiftung Völkerschlachtdenkmal Leipzig (Völkerschlachtdenkmal Leipzig Foundation) was established as a municipal foundation of the city of Leipzig; it now owns the monument and regards it as a memorial site and a symbol of peace, freedom and reconciliation in Europe.

At the foot of the monument, the Museum FORUM 1813 presents weapons, uniforms, paintings and memorabilia from the Napoleonic era, including objects that belonged to Marshal Józef Antoni Poniatowski, who drowned near Leipzig. In the foundation gallery (Fundamentumgang), two further permanent exhibitions cover the monument's ideas and history of use and the history of its restoration.

Highlights

• 91-meter monument from 1913 with observation platform
• Crypt with knight figures and colossal figures
• 68-meter domed hall
• Museum FORUM 1813 with objects from Poniatowski's possessions
• Exhibitions on the monument's ideas and restoration history in the foundation gallery

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum FORUM 1813 – Weapons, uniforms, equipment, paintings and memorabilia from the Napoleonic era, including objects from the estate of Marshal Poniatowski.
• Ideen- und Nutzungsgeschichte des Denkmals – Eight light stelae in the foundation gallery show the monument's origins, construction period and political use up to the present.
• Sanierungsgeschichte des Denkmals – Exhibition on the roughly twenty-year restoration that began in the early 2000s; accessible only as part of a guided tour.

Operated by

Stiftung Völkerschlachtdenkmal Leipzig

Admission & discounts

The ticket covers the monument and the Museum FORUM 1813; online tickets are available. Prices according to the 2026 price list.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: not available
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Access to the park grounds and the monument is barrier-free via a ramp from the car park; elevators lead up to the inner gallery at a height of 47 meters, where wheelchair users can also enjoy the panoramic view. Tactile guidance system with Braille on the handrails and a 91 cm tall tactile model; museum guide in easy-to-understand language; video guides in German Sign Language with subtitles, available free of charge on your own smartphone or tablet (free Wi-Fi available); wheelchair-accessible restroom in the foundation area. Only trained assistance dogs are permitted in the monument.

Kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Quizzes, crossword puzzles and worksheets for children and school classes are available to download; guided tours for school classes (60 minutes) of the monument and the Museum FORUM 1813.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Bistro with outdoor seating (open daily, like the monument) and museum shop at the ticket counter.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit