The Monument to the Battle of Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) is the largest monument in Europe. Why does Leipzig have such a big memorial? More than 200 years ago in 1813, the battle took place in Leipzig where Napoleon was fighting against the united army of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden. The battle involved 600 thousand soldiers, making it the largest battle in Europe prior to World War I and changed the history of Europe forever. The Monument to the Battle of Nations was built in 1913 for the 100th anniversary of this battle.

To understand why so many people were involved in the battle we will first talk about the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars. After you will learn all the interesting facts and anecdotes about the battle. Finally we will talk about the construction and meaning.