The Kölsche Boor en Iser (The Cologne Farmer in Iron)
Cologne's WWI war memorial – after, or alongside, Berlin's Iron Hindenburg the most widely covered such monument in the national press.
The figure draws on an older depiction of the Cologne farmer at the Eigelstein gate tower and, during the war, stood at the centre of a major public fundraising campaign.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Nail figure (war memorial) from World War I
- Location today
- Cologne City Museum, Altstadt-Nord
- Height
- just under 3.50 m
- Material
- Linden wood
- Original site
- in front of the Gürzenich
- Unveiled
- 20 June 1915
- Funds raised
- 707,000 marks within the first year
Within just one year, donations for the Kölsche Boor reached 707,000 marks – the highest amount ever raised by a nail figure in Germany.
Origins and Concept
The impetus for the figure came from Cologne entrepreneur Max von Guilleaume. Its model was the standing figure of the Cologne farmer by Christian Mohr, installed at the Eigelstein gate tower in 1891. The work itself was created by sculptor Wolfgang Wallner, a professor at the Cologne Werkschulen.
The Canopy
Until January 1919, the figure was sheltered by a square domed structure, open on three sides with an apse on the fourth. It was designed by Cologne architect Franz Brantzky, who also created the posters for the fundraising campaign. The arch fronts bore an inscribed verse referencing Cologne's history as a free imperial city: "HALT FASS AM RICH DO / KÖLSCHEN BOOR MAG ET / FALLE SOESS OV SOOR."
Nailing Ceremony and Donations
The dedication was carried out by Mayor Max Wallraf, accompanied by Princess Viktoria of Schaumburg-Lippe, sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Within a year, 707,000 marks were raised nationwide — the largest sum ever collected for a nail figure. By 1919, total donations are said to have reached around 1.5 million marks. From 20 February 1916 to 29 June 1919, the weekly magazine "Der Kölschen Boor" reported on the latest fundraising totals.
Significance and Press Coverage
The Boor is considered one of the most artistically elaborate nail figures of the First World War. Among the hundreds of such figures erected across Germany, it held a special place: after, or alongside, Berlin's Iron Hindenburg, it was the war memorial most frequently covered in the national press during the war.
Legacy and Present Location
In 1915, Cologne singer Willi Ostermann wrote and composed the march "Dä Kölsche Boor en Iser" in its honour. On 28 January 1919, the figure was moved into the Gürzenich, where it remained until the mid-1950s before being relocated to the Haus der Rheinischen Heimat. Since 1984, it has formed part of the permanent exhibition at the Cologne City Museum.
Timeline
- 1891Model statue of the Cologne farmer erected at Eigelstein Gate Tower
- 1915Inauguration of the Boor in front of the Gürzenich on 20 June by Mayor Max Wallraf
- 1915Willi Ostermann writes and composes the march song Dä Kölsche Boor en Iser
- 1916After one year, highest donation total (707,000 marks) of any nail figure in Germany
- 1916–1919Weekly magazine Der Kölschen Boor published (20 February 1916 to 29 June 1919)
- 1919By this time around 1.5 million marks in donations collected
- 1919On 28 January the figure moved into the Gürzenich
- 1984Since this year housed in the Cologne City Museum as part of the permanent exhibition
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Minoritenstraße 13
50667 Köln
You might also like — related or nearby
Comments
- Loading comments…
Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-09-02
How this page is made
This page draws on open sources — Wikipedia, Wikidata, official websites and the city’s open data. Every statement is checked against the sources linked here, and pages are refreshed regularly.
Spotted a mistake anyway? Tell us below — we read every submission.