vergrößern

From the "Rittersturz" monument above Koblenz you have fantastic views down to city, the football stadium, the hall "Oberwerth"... History: The "Rittersturz-Conference" with the 11 German Prime Ministers took place from 08. - 10. July 1948 at the former Berghotel above Koblenz. Topic of the conference were the "Frankfurter Dokumente" given to West Germany by the western powers to make clear the conditions for the state foundation. The decision was made to create the "Grundgesetz" (Basic Constitutional Law), and to unify the three Western Occupation Zones separating from the Sowiet Occupied Zone...

During the following meeting in August 1949 Peter Altmeier, the former prime minister of the federal state of "Rheinland-Pfalz", emphasised that the state foundation is just a step on the way to the German reunification. The monument with its three parts symbolizing the three Western Occupation Zones was inaugurated in 1978. The inclination to the east refers to the missing fourth. In 1974 the "Berghotel" was torn away because of the danger of rockfall.

Text and photo: Jens Niemeyer, Stromberg