The first monument of Germany’s Iron Chancellor was erected as early as 1877, in order to express gratitude to him.
Bismarck and Bad Kissingen
Count Otto von Bismarck was one of the town’s most famous spa guests and with his repeated visits, he made a significant contribution to Bad Kissingen’s popularity. However, the first of the 15 stays at the health resort of the first Chancellor of the German Empire in 1874 was star-crossed. Bismarck, who lived in his lodgings in the house of Dr. Edmund Diruf in what today is known as “Bismarck Street”, only barely escaped a terrible assassination attempt on 13 July 1874. During a coach tour through town, the catholic commoner Eduard Kullmann ambushed him with a pistol, as he opposed the dispute with the Catholic Church which Bismarck had initiated. Luckily, the shot only hit his right hand. Kullmann was arrested and sentenced to many years in prison.
Due to this assassination attempt, Bismarck decided to stay in the house at the Upper Saline (Obere Saline), now the Bismarck Museum, when he revisited Bad Kissingen. In 1885, Bismarck was made honorary citizen of Bad Kissingen on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Editorial tips on the Bismarck monument
You cannot miss the Bismarck myth when you visit Bad Kissingen. In order to be able to trace the vestiges of the past even better, visit the museum shop at the Upper Saline. They offer a lot of literature and audio-visual media about Bismarck and his life.