The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument is located in the Kiel Castle Gardens on the green area between the Castle and the Art Gallery. The monument was inaugurated in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm I on November 24, 1896.

A few years earlier, there had been ideas in Kiel for a monument to the Prussian Emperor Wilhelm I, and the design by the sculptor Adolf Brütt was selected in a competition.

The sculptor Adolf Brütt, born in Husum in 1855, was internationally known for his statues and sculptures. In later years he was a professor at the Weimar Art School and founded the Weimar Sculpture School.

The inauguration of the Kaiser Wilhelm monument in the palace gardens in 1896 was a major social event attended by Kaiser Wilhelm’s grandson, Wilhelm II, high-ranking military personnel, shipyard workers, members of Kiel’s upper class and students.

Originally there were also three bronze figures on the base of the Kaiser Wilhelm monument, but they were melted down during World War II.