It was built in 1921 as a tribute to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin and his invention of the first rigid airship. The monument stands on the bank of Lake Constance and looks out over the lake towards Switzerland and Austria.
Count von Zeppelin was born in 1838 near Stuttgart and served with distinction during the Franco-Prussian War before pursuing a career in engineering. His first attempt at building an airship, known as LZ1, took place near Lake Constance in 1900 and proved successful beyond his wildest dreams – it flew for nearly 20 minutes. This success led him to build more advanced versions of this revolutionary craft, which eventually became known as “Zeppelins”.
The monument itself is made from bronze and stands 35 metres tall on top of a granite base that weighs around 300 tons. At its peak sits a replica of LZ1, which symbolizes Count von Zeppelin’s achievement with these early aircraft designs. The monument also features four statues representing courage, faithfulness, perseverance, and loyalty – values that were important to Count von Zeppelin throughout his life.
Today this incredible structure serves both as a reminder of Konstanz’s proud history but also as a popular tourist attraction for visitors from all over Europe who come here to marvel at its size and grandeur each year. There are plenty of other things to do nearby too, such as visiting one of many lakeside beaches or taking part in some water sports activities like sailing or windsurfing – making it easy for tourists to spend their days enjoying all that this beautiful region has to offer.
For those interested in learning more about Count Ferdinand Von Zeppelin there is even an interactive museum dedicated solely to him located just steps away from the monument where you can explore artefacts related to his life story including models replicas original plans drawings documents photographs films books articles newspaper clippings personal letters diaries awards decorations medals coins stamps uniforms flags insignia etc…
