Nail Men or Men of Nails (german: Nagelmänner) were a form of propaganda and fundraising for members of the armed forces and their dependents in the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

and the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. They consisted of wooden statues (usually of knights in armour) into which nails were driven, either iron (black), or coloured silver or gold, in exchange for donations of different amounts. Some took different forms, including pillars, shields or local coats of arms and crosses, especially the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

, and in German there are a variety of alternate names for them, including ''Wehrmann in Eisen'' or ''eiserner Wehrmann'' (Iron Guardian), ''Nagelfigur'', ''Nagelbild'' or ''Nagelbrett'' (Nail Figure or Nail Board), ''Wehrschild'' (Defence Shield) and ''Kriegswahrzeichen'' (War Monument). The most famous were the original Wehrmann in Eisen in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and the 'Iron Hindenburg', a statue of Hindenburg adjacent to the

Victory Column A victory column, or monumental column or triumphal column, is a monument in the form of a column, erected in memory of a victorious battle, war, or revolution. The column typically stands on a base and is crowned with a victory symbol, such as a ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Origins and purpose

The idea for the Nail Men came from the Stock im Eisen in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, a tree-trunk which had had nails hammered into it for centuries. The first Nail Man, a medieval knight, was set up in Vienna and was first nailed on 6 March 1915 in a public ceremony attended by many dignitaries, including members of the imperial household and the German and Ottoman ambassadors.Dietlinde Munzel-Everling,
Kriegsnagelungen: Wehrmann in Eisen, Nagel-Roland, Eisernes Kreuz
', Wiesbaden, August 2008, p. 3. (pdf) They were promoted as a patriotic fund-raising method in German-speaking parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and also in the German Empire, including by publications such as Gotthold Riegelmann's ''Der Stock in Eisen: praktische Ratschläge zur Errichtung einfacher Nagelholzmale mit Ideenskizzen und Kostenberechnungen'' (The Stock im Eisen: practical advice on the erection of simple wooden monuments for nailing with sketched ideas and cost calculations) and Benno Fitzke and Paul Matzdorf's ''Eiserne Kreuz-Nagelungen zum Besten der Kriegshilfe und zur Schaffung von Kriegswahrzeichen'' (Iron cross nailings for the best benefit of war aid and for the creation of war monuments). They have been seen as "fit

ing Ing, ING or ing may refer to: Art and media * '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film * i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group * The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' * "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...

in much more closely with Protestant celebrations of the Prussian military genius and the grandeur of the ''Kaiserreich''" than with Austrian Catholicism.Winter
p. 84
Municipalities and charitable organisations, either specially founded associations or the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

, had a statue or other emblem made out of wood (oak was sometimes recommended), sometimes by well known sculptors, such as the medieval knight ''Wehrmann in Eisen'' by M. Molitar in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

.Munzel-Everling, p. 4. Allen J. Frantzen, ''Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War'', Chicago: University of Chicago, 2004,
p. 169
The nails which the donor could use depending on the level of the donation could be iron, or silver- or gold-plated. The placement of the nail also reflected the level of the donation. For example, in the case of the

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

, a black (iron) nail cost 1 mark, a silver nail hammered into the border, 3 marks, a nail in the '1914' inscription, 5 marks, in the 'W' for Kaiser Wilhelm, 10 marks, and in the crown at the top of the cross, 20 marks;Folker Reichert
"Heidelberger Hochschullehrer im Ersten Weltkrieg"
lecture on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Eike Wolgast,

University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

, 19 October 2001 in the case of the 'Iron Siegfried' at

Wiesbaden Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...

, iron nails cost 1 mark, silver-coated, 5–20 marks, and gilded up to 300 marks, with further donations possible;Munzel-Everling, p. 10. in the case of the Hindenburg statue in Berlin, gold nails cost 100 marks, silver and black cost 5 marks, and grey 1 mark; for donations over 500 marks, a small plaque was nailed to the sword. Donations were often recorded in an 'Iron Book', for example at Heidelberg, and the donor often received a lapel pin, a certificate, or some other token of the donation. Medallions, postcards and other associated merchandise were sold as a further source of funds. An iron cross was a popular choice of form, perhaps the most popular; it was specifically recommended by Fitzke and Matzdorf, who state that it would require 160–200 nails. Other common shapes were shields and coats of arms, but animals, flowers and ships (including

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

s) were also nailed. The figures in human form typically were knights in armour but sometimes depicted modern soldiers or historical and legendary figures. In addition to Hindenburg, Admiral Tirpitz,

Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...

and General

Otto von Emmich Albert Theodor Otto Emmich (since 1913 von Emmich) (4 August 1848 – 22 December 1915) was a Prussian general. Biography Emmich was the son of an Oberst (Colonel). He married Elise Pauline Sophie (born 1855), daughter of Karl von Graberg. Born i ...

were depicted as Nail Men. Donations were usually collected to assist the wounded or for widows and orphans of the fallen. But in some cases, for example at

Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Gmünd (, until 1934: Gmünd; Swabian: ''Gmẽẽd'' or ''Gmend'') is a city in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 60,000, the city is the second largest in the Ostalb district a ...

, they were intended to help supply front soldiers; in the winter of 1916, the need was particularly great.Klaus Graf
"Hans Rauchbein: ein Gmünder Bürgermeister im 16. Jahrhundert und sein falscher Ruhm"
''Ostalb-Einhorn'' 18 (1991) 116–26 (pdf) p. 124. The statues were usually prominently displayed and there was considerable social pressure to show patriotism by buying nails. The first nail was generally ceremonially driven by an important personage at a large patriotic ceremony including hymns and specially written patriotic poems which often evoked the Age of Chivalry; Fitzke and Matzdorf provide a suggested ceremony in 24 parts. Clubs, school classes, and so on performed group nailing; there were even nailings at the front.Munzel-Everling, p. 5.

Locations

Austria

Vienna

* Vienna: ''Wehrmann im Eisen'', a medieval knight in full armour.Munzel-Everling, pp. 3, 7. *

Alsergrund Alsergrund (; Central Bavarian: ''Oisagrund'') is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (german: 9. Bezirk, Alsergrund). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. ...

: a hunter, in an inn, donations benefitting the dependents of fallen professional hunters. *

Innere Stadt The Innere Stadt (; Central Bavarian: ''Innare Stod'') is the 1st municipal Districts of Vienna, district of Vienna () located in the center of the Austrian capital. The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expa ...

: a

posthorn The post horn (''also'' post-horn) is a valveless cylindrical brass instrument with a cupped mouthpiece. The instrument was used to signal the arrival or departure of a post rider or mail coach. It was used especially by postilions of the 18t ...

, in the Trade Ministry, 20 May 1917.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 33. *

Favoriten Favoriten (; Central Bavarian: ''Favoritn''), the 10th district of Vienna, Austria (german: 10. Bezirk, Favoriten), is located south of the central districts. It is south of Innere Stadt, Wieden and Margareten. Favoriten is a heavily populat ...

: a U-boat, set up by the local branch of the Austrian Fleet Association to raise money for construction of a new U-boat.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 32. *

Floridsdorf Floridsdorf (; Central Bavarian: ''Fluridsduaf'') is the 21st district of Vienna (german: 21. Bezirk, Floridsdorf), located in the northern part of the city and comprising seven formerly independent communities: Floridsdorf, Donaufeld, Greater Jed ...

: a shield on a station platform, and the armorial oak of Army Chief of the General Staff

Count Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

in an inn. **Stammersdorf: a shield.Munzel-Everling, p. 6. *

Grinzing Grinzing () was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Wien.gv.at webpage (see below: References). Geography Location Grinzing lies in the northwest of Vienna and, with an ar ...

: a grapevine, created by Professor F. Barwig of the Vienna School of Applied Arts and his students. *

Hietzing Hietzing () is the 13th municipal District of Vienna (german: 13. Bezirk, Hietzing). It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings, but also contains lar ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * Kaiserebersdorf: an eagle. *

Landstraße Landstraße (; Central Bavarian: ''Laundstrossn'') is the 3rd municipal district of Vienna, Austria (german: 3. Bezirk). It is near the center of Vienna and was established in the 19th century. Landstraße is a heavily populated urban area with ...

: a soldier, the 'German master in iron', in the banqueting hall of the Third District, first nailed on 15 August 1915, and a field howitzer designed by the sculptor Alfred Hofmann, in the covered riding school of the 13th Field Howitzer Division's barracks in the Rennweg. *

Leopoldstadt Leopoldstadt (; bar, Leopoidstod, "Leopold-Town") is the 2nd municipal district of Vienna (german: 2. Bezirk) in Austria. there are 103,233 inhabitants over . It is situated in the heart of the city and, together with Brigittenau (20th distr ...

: a shield and a soldier. *

Meidling Meidling () is the 12th district of Vienna (german: 12. Bezirk, Meidling). It is located just southwest of the central districts, south of the Wienfluss, west of the Gürtel belt, and east and southeast of Schönbrunn palace. Meidling is a heav ...

: a shield. ** Hetzendorf: an iron cross. * Penzing: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * Rodaun: a shield. *

Roßau Alsergrund (; Central Bavarian: ''Oisagrund'') is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (german: 9. Bezirk, Alsergrund). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. ...

: a table in a restaurant, from 12 October 1915. *

Wieden Wieden (; Central Bavarian: ''Wiedn'') is the 4th municipal district of Vienna, Austria (german: 4. Bezirk). It is near the centre of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but its borders were changed later. Wieden is a small region ...

: one or more shields, with the proceeds divided between the fund for widows and orphans and the children of deceased members of the military from the locality. *Vienna (precise location unknown): a U-boat donated by

Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Gustav Georg Friedrich Maria Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (born Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach; 7 August 1870 – 16 January 1950) was a German foreign service official who became chairman of the board of Friedrich Krupp AG, a heavy industry con ...

. Archduke Franz Salvator drove the first nail on behalf of Emperor

Franz Joseph Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

Other locations in modern Austria

* Amstetten: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight).Munzel-Everling, p. 7. *

Bad Hall Bad Hall () is a market town in the Steyr-Land district of the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Its name, Bad Hall, means "salt bath," a reference to its long history of baths and spas. It is renowned for its saline springs, strongly impregnated wi ...

: Tassilo. *

Bad Ischl Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden' ...

: a shield. * Berndorf. a bear with a sword in its mouth.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 15. * Dorfgastein: a shield. * Enns: an

Edelweiss EDELWEISS (Expérience pour DEtecter Les WIMPs En Site Souterrain) is a dark matter search experiment located at the Modane Underground Laboratory in France. The experiment uses cryogenic detectors, measuring both the phonon and ionization signals ...

, by the sculptor Adolph Johannes Fischer, first nailed on 21 November 1915 by a regiment. *

Ernstbrunn Ernstbrunn is a town in the district of Korneuburg in Lower Austria in Austria. Ernstbrunn takes up about 80.69 square kilometers, 26.99 percent of which is forest. The castle became the seat of the Ernstbrunn branch of the Counts of Sinzendorf ...

: a shield. * Feldbach: a soldier. *

Feldkirch Feldkirch may refer to: Places * Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, a medieval city and capital of an administrative district in Austria ** Feldkirch (district), an administrative division of Vorarlberg, Austria * Feldkirch (Hartheim), a village in the munici ...

: a shield. *

Gmunden Gmunden () is a town in Upper Austria, Austria in the district of Gmunden (district), Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ). It is much frequented as a health and summer resort, and has a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-c ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Gröbming Gröbming is a municipality in the district of Liezen in Styria, Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federati ...

: a shield. *

Hall in Tirol Hall in Tyrol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km (3 mi) east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 13,000 (Jan 2013). History ...

: a shield. *

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

: a soldier, called the ''eisener Blumenteufel'' (Iron Flower-Devil), designed by

Albin Egger-Lienz Albin Egger-Lienz (29 January 1868 – 4 November 1926) was an Austrian painter known especially for rustic genre and historical paintings. Career He was born in Dölsach-Stribach near Lienz, in what was the county of Tyrol. He was the natural s ...

. *

Jägerndorf Krnov (; german: Jägerndorf, pl, Karniów or ''Krnów'') is a town in Bruntál District in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts The town is made up of town parts of Pod Bezru� ...

: an eagle. *

Kaumberg Kaumberg is a town in the district of Lilienfeld in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the nort ...

: a shield. *

Klosterneuburg Klosterneuburg (; frequently abbreviated as Kloburg by locals) is a town in Tulln District in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It has a population of about 27,500. The Klosterneuburg Monastery, which was established in 1114 and soon after give ...

: a shield. **Kritzendorf, Klosterneuburg *

Königstetten Königstetten is a municipality in the district of Tulln in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in t ...

: a shield. *

Krems an der Donau Krems an der Donau () is a town of 23,992 inhabitants in Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria. It is the fifth-largest city of Lower Austria and is approximately west of Vienna. Krems is a city with its own statute (or '' Statutarstad ...

: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Kufstein Kufstein (; Central Bavarian: ''Kufstoa'') is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the administrative seat of Kufstein District. With a population of about 19,600 it is the second largest Tyrolean town after the state capital Innsbruck. The great ...

: a soldier. *

Leoben Leoben () is a Styrian city in central Austria, located on the Mur river. With a population of about 25,000 it is a local industrial centre and hosts the University of Leoben, which specialises in mining. The Peace of Leoben, an armistice betwee ...

: a shield. *

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight) by the sculptor

Adolph Wagner Adolph Wagner (25 March 1835 – 8 November 1917) was a German economist and politician, a leading ''Kathedersozialist'' (academic socialist) and public finance scholar and advocate of agrarianism. Wagner's law of increasing state activity is ...

. *

Marchtrenk Marchtrenk is a municipality with about 12.500 inhabitants in the district Wels-Land in the province Upper Austria of the Republic of Austria. It is situated on the river Traun Traun () is an Austrian city located on the north bank of the r ...

: a table, made by a Russian prisoner of war and decorated with carvings by a corporal from Trieste.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 27. *

Mauerkirchen Mauerkirchen is a municipality in the district of Braunau am Inn in the Austrian state of Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria ...

: a shield. *

Mödling Mödling () is the capital of the Austrian Mödling (district), district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna. Mödling lies in Lower Austria's industrial zone (Industrieviertel). The Mödlingbach, a brook which rises ...

: a wooden replica of a

Škoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...

mortar, unveiled on 22 August 1915 by Archduke Franz Salvator and his wife the Archduchess Blanka. *

Mürzzuschlag Mürzzuschlag is a town in northeastern Styria, Austria, the capital of the former Mürzzuschlag District. It is located on the Mürz river near the Semmering Pass Semmering () is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps connectin ...

: a shield. * Ober-Grafendorf: a shield. *

Poysdorf Poysdorf is a town in the district of Mistelbach in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Population Sights * Vino Versum Poysdorf The Vino Versum Poysdorf is a municipal museum dedicated to the wine and culture history of Poysdorf and the We ...

: a shield. *

Reutte Reutte (; Swabian: ) is a market town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district (''Districts of Austria''). Reutte is located on the Lech, and has a population of 6704 (as of 2018). Neighbouring munic ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Ried im Innkreis Ried im Innkreis (Central Bavarian: ''Riad'') is a town in the Austrian state of Upper Austria, approximately west of Linz and north of Salzburg. It is the capital of the district of Ried im Innkreis, and it serves as the administrative centre f ...

: an iron cross. *

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

. *

Sankt Pölten Sankt Pölten (; Central Bavarian: ''St. Pödn''), mostly abbreviated to the official name St. Pölten, is the capital and largest city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria, with 55,538 inhabitants as of 1 January 2020. St. Pölten ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Steyregg Steyregg is a municipality in the district of Urfahr-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. History The town was once part of the territory owned by the Princes of Liechtenstein There have been 16 monarchs of the Principality of Liec ...

: a shield. *

Stockerau Stockerau () is a town in the district of Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria. Stockerau has 15,921 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in the Weinviertel.https://statistik.at/wcm/idc/idcplg?IdcService=GET_PDF_FILE&RevisionSelectionMetho ...

: an oak trunk with warlike emblems and topped by a cavalry helmet, set up by the Reserve Officers' School.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 31. *

Ternitz Ternitz is a town and municipality (14,823 inhabitants end 2014) in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of ...

: a hand grenade, set up by the local men's chorale on 20 August 1916. *

Vöcklabruck Vöcklabruck () is the administrative center of the Vöcklabruck district, Austria. It is located in the western part of Upper Austria, close to the A1 Autobahn as well as the B1 highway. Vöcklabruck's name derives from the River Vöckla which ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * Vornbach am Inn: a shield. *

Wels Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the eighth largest city in Austria. Geography Wels is in the H ...

: Emperor Maximilian. *

Wiener Neustadt Wiener Neustadt (; ; Central Bavarian: ''Weana Neistod'') is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administration of Wiener Neustadt-Land Distr ...

Wieselburg Wieselburg (Central Bavarian: ''Wieslbuag'') is a town in Lower Austria, Austria, located near the River Erlauf. Its name roughly translates to castle where two rivers meet, as there are two rivers that run together to create the Erlauf. Its popu ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' in the form of a soldier with gun. * Unknown location

Former Austro-Hungarian territories

=now in Croatia

= *Curzola (now

Korčula Korčula (, it, Curzola) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after K ...

), Dalmatia: a ship.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 16. *

Škrip Škrip is a village in Croatia. It is the oldest settlement on the island Brač Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is s ...

(

Brač Brač is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide. The island's talle ...

): oval plaque with anchor, in the Skrip Museum *

Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...

: a lighthouse. *

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...

: "zeljezni domobran" (Iron

Royal Croatian Home Guard The Royal Croatian Home Guard ( hr, Kraljevsko hrvatsko domobranstvo, Hrvatsko-slavonsko domobranstvo or Kraljevsko hrvatsko-ugarsko domobranstvo, often simply ''Domobranstvo'' or ''Domobran'' in singular, in German: ''Croatisch-Slawonische Landw ...

), Museum of Contemporary History

=now in the Czech Republic

= *Asch, now Aš: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Brünn Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inha ...

or Brno, Moravia: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Budweis, now

České Budějovice České Budějovice (; german: Budweis ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 93,000 inhabitants. It is located in the valley of the Vltava River, at its confluence with the Malše. České Budějovice is t ...

, Bohemia:

St. Barbara Saint Barbara ( grc, Ἁγία Βαρβάρα; cop, Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲃⲁⲣⲃⲁⲣⲁ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. Accounts place her in t ...

. * Eger or Cheb, Bohemia: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Hof, Moravia (now Dvorce u Bruntálu): a shield. *

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Prerau, Moravia (

Přerov Přerov (; german: Prerau) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 41,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Bečva River. In the past it was a major crossroad in the heart of Moravia in the Czech Republic. The historic centre ...

): a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Qualisch, now

Chvaleč Chvaleč (german: Qualisch) is a municipality and village in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. It is located on the border with Poland Poland, officially the Republic of P ...

: a shield. *Trebisch, Western Moravia (now

Třebíč Třebíč (; german: Trebitsch; yi, טרייביטש Treybitsh) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 34,000 inhabitants. The beginnings of the town's history are connected with the establishment of a Benedictine ...

): a shield. *Troppau, Austrian Silesia (now

Opava Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava (river), Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a histori ...

): a shield.

=Hungary

= *

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

: a mounted knight of the period of King Matthias I in the Deák tér, by

Ferenc Sidló Ferenc () is a given name of Hungarian origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, Francesco, François, Frank and Franz. People with the name include: * Ferenc Batthyány, Hungarian magnate and general * Ferenc Berényi, Hungarian artist * ...

. *Stuhlweißenburg (

Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the regional capital of Central Transdanubia, and the centre of Fejér ...

): a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight).

=now in Poland

= *

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

: an iron cross.

=now in Romania

= *

Hermannstadt Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

or Sibiu: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Klausenburg ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...

or Cluj-Napoca: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). Oswald von Wolkenstein JB Moroder

=South Tyrol, now in Italy

= *

Meran Merano (, , ) or Meran () is a city and ''comune'' in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier ...

: St. Michael. *

Schlanders Schlanders (; it, Silandro ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about west of the city of Bolzano. Overview Schlanders borders the following municipalities: Latsch, Laas, Mals, Martell, Schnals. Schland ...

: a

Vinschgau The Vinschgau, Vintschgau () or Vinschgau Valley ( it, Val Venosta ; rm, Vnuost ; lld, Val Venuesta; medieval toponym: ''Finsgowe'') is the upper part of the Adige or Etsch river valley, in the western part of the province of South Tyrol, Italy. ...

eagle.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 30. *

Sterzing Sterzing (; it, Vipiteno ) is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is the main town of the southern Wipptal, and the Eisack River flows through the medieval town. History Origin The town traces its roots to 14 B.C., when Nero Claudius ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * St. Ulrich in Gröden: a crusader knight.

=now in Ukraine

= *

Czernowitz Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...

: an imperial eagle, set up in memory of liberation from Russian occupation, and based on the eagle on the town hall roof, which the Russians had removed. *

Drohobycz Drohobych ( uk, Дрого́бич, ; pl, Drohobycz; yi, דראָהאָביטש;) is a city of regional significance in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hro ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Lemberg (

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...

): a ''Wehrmann'' (knight).

Germany

Berlin

Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

: a shield. *

Lichtenberg Lichtenberg () is the eleventh borough of Berlin, Germany. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it absorbed the former borough of Hohenschönhausen. Overview The district contains the Tierpark Berlin in Friedrichsfelde, the larger of Berlin ...

: a 'German sword' on a street corner. *

Neukölln Neukölln () is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is located in the southeastern part from the city centre towards Berlin Schönefeld Airport. It was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city. It featu ...

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

. *

Schöneberg Schöneberg () is a locality of Berlin, Germany. Until Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was a separate borough including the locality of Friedenau. Together with the former borough of Tempelhof it is now part of the new borough of Tempelh ...

Wilmersdorf Wilmersdorf (), an inner-city locality of Berlin, lies south-west of the central city. Formerly a borough by itself, Wilmersdorf became part of the new borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform. History The vi ...

: a door. *

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...

: an iron gate at the barracks of the 5th Guard Regiment. * Tiergarten: Iron Hindenburg, next to the Victory Column in the Königsplatz, designed by Georg Marschall and inaugurated on 4 September 1915; Princess August Wilhelm drove the first nail into Hindenburg's name on the plinth. 1.15 million marks were raised. After the war the statue was sold for firewood. StadtmuseumErfurt Nagelkreuz1914

Other locations in modern Germany

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

: Roland. *

Abensberg Abensberg () is a town in the Lower Bavarian district of Kelheim, in Bavaria, Germany, lying around southwest of Regensburg, east of Ingolstadt, northwest of Landshut and north of Munich. It is situated on the river Abens, a tributary of the ...

: an iron cross. *

Achim Achim (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Achem''), commonly Achim bei Bremen, is a municipality and the largest town (population 30,059 in December 2006) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, a ...

: an iron cross. *

Aerzen Aerzen is a municipality in the Hamelin-Pyrmont district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southwest of Hamelin, and north of Bad Pyrmont. Economy One of the biggest employers in the region is Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH., a manufac ...

: an iron cross. *

Altena Altena (; Westphalian: ''Altenoa'') is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern stretc ...

: ''eiserner Töeger'' * Alt Jabel (Mecklenburg): an iron cross. * Alveslohe: an iron cross. *

Amberg Amberg () is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. In 2020, over 42,000 people lived in the town. History The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under t ...

: a Bulgarian red cross.Munzel-Everling, p. 13. *

Arendsee Arendsee () is a town in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is named after the lake Arendsee, located north of the town. Geography The municipality is located in the Altmark region and on the southern bank of the Arendsee ...

: an iron cross. *

Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * Aschendorf: a war map, set up by the pupils at the local rectory school. *

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

: a column. *

Bad Doberan Bad Doberan () is a town in the district of Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It was the capital of the former district of Bad Doberan. In 2012, its population was 11,427. Geography Bad Doberan is situated just west of Rostock's city c ...

: an iron cross. *

Bad Harzburg Bad Harzburg (; Eastphalian: ''Bad Harzborch'') is a spa town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort. Geogra ...

: an iron cross. * Bad Königshofen im Grabfeld: the coat of arms of the locality. * Bad Nenndorf: an ivy-twined stump.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 14. *

Bad Pyrmont Bad Pyrmont (, also: ; West Low German: ) is a town in the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont, in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population close to 19,000. It is located on the river Emmer, about west of the Weser. Bad Pyrmont is a popular spa resort ...

: St. Michael (the patron saint of Germany). *

Bad Reichenhall Bad Reichenhall (Central Bavarian: ''Reichahoi'') is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgau Alps (including Mount Staufe ...

: a Christian cross, set up in December 1915. *

Bad Tölz Bad Tölz (; Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Däiz'') is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. History Archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tö ...

: an eagle, with a figure of Justice. *

Badbergen Badbergen is a municipality in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the River Hase The Hase is a long river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Ems, but part of its flow goes to the Else, th ...

: an eagle. * Bardowiek: an iron cross. * Barsinghausen: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Bassum Bassum (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Bassen'') is a town in the district of Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 35 km northeast of Diepholz, and 25 km south of Bremen. Geography Subdivision Besides Bassum prope ...

: an iron cross. *

Bayreuth Bayreuth (, ; bar, Bareid) is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtelgebirge Mountains. The town's roots date back to 1194. In the 21st century, it is the capital of U ...

: a sword (

Nothung In Norse mythology, Gram (Old Norse ''Gramr'', meaning "Wrath"), also known as Balmung or Nothung, is the sword that Sigurd used to kill the dragon Fafnir. It is primarily used by the Völsungs in the ''Volsunga Saga''. However, it is also see ...

), made by the architect Hans Schmitz and first nailed on 28 May 1916. * Behrendorf, Schleswig-Holstein *

Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; the ...

: an iron cross. *

Bielefeld Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Bleckede Bleckede (, Polabian ''Bleketsa'') is a town in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated mostly on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 20 km east of Lüneburg. Bleckede is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. H ...

: an iron cross. *

Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...

: a smith. *

Boffzen Boffzen is a municipality in Holzminden district, Lower Saxony, Germany. Allocation of seats in the local council electoral period 2001-2006: * CDU: 4 * SPD: 10 * FDP: 1 Boffzen is also the seat of the ''Samtgemeinde A ''Samtgemeinde ...

: a shield. * Boitzenburg: an iron cross. *

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

: an oak, designed by Wilhelm Menser. *

Bramsche Bramsche is a town in the district of Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is about north of Osnabrück, at . Population is 30,952 (2018). Subdivisions In 1971/72 12 previously independent municipalities were included into the town. *Achmer *B ...

: a rose. *

Brandenburg an der Havel Brandenburg an der Havel () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, which served as the capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg until it was replaced by Berlin in 1417. With a population of 72,040 (as of 2020), it is located on the banks of the H ...

: Roland. *

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

: Roland. *

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...

: a column. *

Bremervörde Bremervörde () is a town in the north of the district (''Landkreis'') of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the Oste river near the centre of the "triangle" formed by the rivers Weser and Elbe, roughly equidistant from the cit ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Brinkum, now part of

Stuhr Stuhr is a municipality in the district of Diepholz, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 7 km southwest of Bremen. The biggest cities in Stuhr are Brinkum, Fahrenhorst, Groß Mackenstedt, Heiligenrode (Neukrug), Moordeich, ...

: an iron cross. *

Brüel Brüel () is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 24 km northeast of Schwerin. Notable people * (1811–1882), bookseller and publisher, founder of * Friedrich Schlie Frie ...

: an iron cross. * Brunswick:

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (german: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty who ruled as the duke of Saxony and Bavaria from 1142 and 1156, respectively, until 1180. Henry was one of the most powerful German p ...

. *

Bützow Bützow is a town in the district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in north-eastern Germany, centered on Bützower See. History The town was first mentioned in 1171. From 1815 to 1918 Bützow was part of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwe ...

: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about 71,000. Celle is the southern gateway to the Lü ...

: two shields. *

Cham Cham or CHAM may refer to: Ethnicities and languages *Chams, people in Vietnam and Cambodia **Cham language, the language of the Cham people ***Cham script ***Cham (Unicode block), a block of Unicode characters of the Cham script *Cham Albanian ...

: an iron cross. *

Clausthal Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The City is the location of the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort ...

: a table. *

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

: ''Kölscher Boor'' (Cologne farmer, the embodiment of the city); 1.6 million marks raised. *

Cuxhaven Cuxhaven (; ) is an independent town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has ...

: an iron cross. *

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it th ...

: an iron cross, set up on the initiative of the Landgravin of Hesse-Darmstadt on 23 April 1915. *

Delmenhorst Delmenhorst (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Demost'') is an urban district (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located west of downtown Bremen with which it forms a contiguous urban area, whereas the ...

: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Diepholz Diepholz (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Deefholt'') is a town and capital of the district of Diepholz in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the rivers Hunte and Lohne, approximately 45 km northeast of Osnabrück, and 60 km southwest of ...

: a book. *

Dömitz Dömitz () is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, 25 km southwest of Ludwigslust, and 37 km northwest of Wittenberge. It was grant ...

: an iron cross. *

Dorstadt Dorstadt is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is part of the ''Samtgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Oderwald. Geography Dorstadt is located in the northern foothills of the Harz mountain range. ...

: a shield. *

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

: St. Reinold, patron saint of the city. *

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

: an iron cross. *

Duderstadt Duderstadt () is a city in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Göttingen. It is the center and capital of the northern part of the Eichsfeld ("Untereichsfeld"). In earlier times it was the private wealth of the Roman Cat ...

: a table. *

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

: the lion of the former

Duchy of Berg Berg was a state—originally a county, later a duchy—in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed as a distinct political entity from the early 12th to the 19th centuries. The name of the county lives on in the modern ...

, cast in metal, by J. Knubel. *

Eichstätt Eichstätt () is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district of Eichstätt. It is located on the Altmühl river and has a population of around 13,000. Eichstätt is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese ...

: the coat of arms of the locality and a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Einbeck Einbeck (; Eastphalian: ''Aimbeck'') is a town in the district Northeim, in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, on the German Timber-Frame Road. History Prehistory The area of the current city of Einbeck is inhabited since prehistoric times. Vario ...

: an iron cross. * Eitzum: an iron cross. *

Elberfeld Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929. History The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "''elverfelde''" was in a docu ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Elmshorn Elmshorn (; nds, Elmshoorn) is a town in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is 30 km north of Hamburg on the small river Krückau, a tributary of the Elbe, and with about 50,000 inhabitants is the sixth-largest t ...

: an iron cross. *

Elsfleth Elsfleth () is a town in the district of Wesermarsch, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Hunte with the Weser, on the left bank of the Weser. It has a school of navigation (university of applied sciences), a harbour an ...

: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Emden Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of E ...

: ''Isern Kerl'' (iron lad), representing

Karl von Müller Karl Friedrich Max von Müller (16 June 1873 – 11 March 1923) was a German naval officer who was the captain of a commerce raider, the light cruiser SMS ''Emden'' during the First World War. Early life and career The son of a colonel in t ...

, captain of the light cruiser ''

''.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 18. *

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits i ...

: a soldier. *

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

: the Smith of Essen, 1915. *Fischbeck: an iron cross. *

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

: an eagle, to raise funds for German

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

. *

Frankfurt an der Oder Frankfurt (Oder), also known as Frankfurt an der Oder (), is a city in the German state of Brandenburg. It has around 57,000 inhabitants, is one of the easternmost cities in Germany, the fourth-largest city in Brandenburg, and the largest German ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...

: a tree at the Swabian Gate, for the Red Cross, the first nail being driven by the garrison commander on 15 November 1915. * Frensdorf: an iron cross. *

Geislingen an der Steige Geislingen an der Steige is surrounded by the heights of the Swabian Alb and embedded in 5 beautiful valleys. It is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The name relates to its location "on the climb ...

: an Iron ''

Helfensteiner Helfensteiner is a dark-skinned German wine grape crossing of the species ''Vitis vinifera'', that was created in 1931 with the crossing of Frühburgunder (Pinot Précoce noir) and Trollinger (Schiava Grossa). It was created by August Herold at ...

'' (after the founding family of the town). *Glörries (Mecklenburg): an iron cross. *

Görlitz Görlitz (; pl, Zgorzelec, hsb, Zhorjelc, cz, Zhořelec, :de:Ostlausitzer Mundart, East Lusatian dialect: ''Gerlz'', ''Gerltz'', ''Gerltsch'') is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is located on the Lusatian Neisse River, and ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Goslar Goslar (; Eastphalian: ''Goslär'') is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines ...

: a shield, inaugurated on 1 August 1915, the first of many such fundraisers in

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

: an aeroplane, the ''eiserne Gotha-Taube'' (Iron Dove of Gotha), set up on 26 September 1915. *

Grabow Grabow () is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Elde, 7 km (4.35 mi) southeast of Ludwigslust, and 34 km (21.12 mi) northwest of Wittenberge. It ...

: an iron cross and a shield. *

Grevesmühlen Grevesmühlen () is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. It was the seat of the Nordwestmecklenburg district until 2011, when Wismar became the seat. It is situated 33 km east of Lübeck, and ...

: a church door.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 19. *

Gütersloh Gütersloh () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 100,194 peo ...

: an eagle. *

Hagen Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...

: a smith, by Fritz Bagdons, inaugurated 28 November 1915. The "Iron Smith of Hagen" fund continued to aid war orphans and other dependents of the fallen after the war. Also the cruiser (Seagull) and a seagull, designed by architect

Edmund Körner Edmund is a masculine given name or surname in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and ...

, set up by pupils of two secondary schools.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 20. ** Hagen-Haspe: a shield. *

Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...

: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *

Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia Halle, officially Halle (Westf.) or Halle Westfalen (i.e. Westphalia) to distinguish it from the larger Halle (Saale), is a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 15 km west of Bielefeld. It belongs to the district of Güterslo ...

: an oak. *

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

: an eagle and St. Michael.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 8. **

Altona, Hamburg Altona (), also called Hamburg-Altona, is the westernmost urban borough (''Bezirk'') of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864, Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Alto ...

: ''Isern Hinnerk'' (

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

: Iron Henry, named for

Heinrich von Borch Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...

). **Dockenhuden, Hamburg: a park bench, bearing the arms of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

and a patriotic motto. **

Harburg, Hamburg Harburg is a Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, borough of the city of Hamburg, Germany. It is also the name of Harburg (quarter), Harburg quarter in the borough, which used to be the capital of the Harburg (district), Harburg district in ...

: a guardian bird, first nailed on 2 September 1915. *

Hameln Hamelin ( ; german: Hameln ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Hi ...

: a shield. *

Hamm Hamm (, Latin: ''Hammona'') is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of 2016 its population was 179,397. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway. Hamm railwa ...

: Count Adolf, founder of the city. * Hannoversch Münden: an iron cross. *

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

: Roland, a painted disc, two cannons and a horse (the

Saxon Steed The Saxon Steed (german: link=no, Sachsenross, Niedersachsenross, Welfenross, Westfalenpferd; ; Low Saxon: ''Witte Peerd'') is a heraldic motif associated with the German provinces of Lower Saxony and Westphalia, and the Dutch region of Twente ...

), first nailed on dates from mid-August 1915 to May 1916. **Hainholz, Hannover-Nordstadt: a table, in the station inn. *

surmounted by a crown, 190 cm square, 14 cm thick, with an Iron Book as a record of donations, in aid of the Red Cross. Unveiled 26 June 1915; by July 1917, almost 28,500 marks had been donated (3,344 silver nails and 16,083 iron nails) by approximately 15,000 people, about one tenth of whom added a personal message when they signed the book. **Rohrbach, Heidelberg: the coat of arms of the locality. *

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

: Sir Eisenhart, 7 May 1915. * Hof: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). * Hohen Sprenz: an iron cross. * Holzkirchen: a shield. *

Holzminden Holzminden (; nds, Holtsminne) is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located on the river Weser, which at this point forms the border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Histor ...

: an iron cross. *

Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bav ...

: a lion on a column. *

Itzehoe Itzehoe (; nds, Itzhoe) is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km (31.7 mi) northwest of Hamburg and 24 ...

: Charlemagne. *

Jüterbog Jüterbog () is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin. History The Slavic settlement of ' ...

: Hindenburg.Munzel-Everling, p. 8. *Kassel: a wellhead. *Kaufbeuren: a shield. *Kiel: a U-boat, inaugurated on 22 September 1915, and a lion designed by Edmund Körner in the girls' middle school.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 24. *Kirchgellersen: a cross. *Kleve: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). RathaustuerKornwestheim

*Kornwestheim: door of the town hall, with Iron Crosses and heraldry of the Kingdom of Württemberg, incorporated into the Kornwestheim town hall, new town hall in 1935. *Klütz: an iron cross. *Krefeld: Saint George, St. George. *Kröpelin: an iron cross. *Lamspringe: an iron cross. *Landau: a soldier. *Landshut: an iron cross on the town hall door. *Lauenförde: a shield. *Leer (Ostfriesland), Leer: an iron cross. *Lehe: an iron cross. *

: Medieval knight ''Wehrmann in Eisen'' by M. Molitar, 1916. *Lindau: a ship. *Lingen: the coat of arms of the locality. *Lübeck: an eagle. *Lübtheen: an iron cross. *Lübz: an iron cross. *Ludwigslust: an iron cross. *Lüneburg: Hermann Billung. *Magdeburg: Roland, but never nailed; an eagle was nailed as a youth organisation's thanks to war wounded. *Mainz: a column. *Malchin: an iron cross. Nagelfigur Mannheim 1915

*Mannheim: Roland. *Meldorf: Wulf Isebrand. *Melle, Germany, Melle: a soldier. *Mindelheim: a bell. *Merseburg: a raven with a ring (from a legend). *Mölln: an iron cross. *Munster, Lower Saxony: a beehive, first nailed on 5 March 1916. *Neuburg an der Donau:

, leader of the German forces in Lorraine. *Amt Neuhaus, Neuhaus an der Elbe: an iron cross. *Neustadt am Rhein: an iron cross. *Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Neustadt an der Haardt: the coat of arms of the locality. *Marschacht, Niedermarschacht: an iron cross. *Nienburg: a shield. *Nuremberg: an iron cross. *Ohrdruf, Thuringia, Ohrdruf: St. Michael. *Offenbach am Main: Götz von Berlichingen, designed by Ernst Unger, and an iron cross for the benefit of dependents of the fallen of Hesse. *Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg: ''Isern Hinnerk''. *Osnabrück: Charlemagne. **Haste, Osnabrück: an iron cross. *Otterndorf: the coat of arms of the locality. *Parchim: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Peine: an owl on a column. *Penzlin: an iron cross. *Plau am See: an iron cross. *Potsdam: an iron cross. *Prenzlau: Roland. *Quakenbrück: ''eiserner Burgmann'' (iron burgher) for war aid. *Recklinghausen: a column. *Regensburg: Ratisbona, the embodiment of the city. *Rehna: a shield. *Ribnitz-Damgarten, Ribnitz: the coat of arms of the locality. *Rinteln: an iron cross. *Rosenheim: a rose. *Rostock: a gryphon. *Saarbrücken: a knight. *Sarstedt: an oak trunk. *Neustadt am Rübenberge, Schneeren: a machine gun. *Schongau, Bavaria: a shield. *Schöningen: an iron cross. *Schüttorf: an iron cross. *

: Hans Rauchbein, a 16th-century mayor.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 30. *Schwerin: a door of the Schwerin Cathedral, cathedral, and an iron cross at the artillery barracks. *Seesen: clasped hands, inaugurated 27 January 1916. *Vilsbiburg, Seyboldsdorf: a shield. *Sittensen: an iron cross. *Soltau: the coat of arms of the locality. *Holle, Sottrum bei Holle: St. George. *Stade: Goeben, named for General August Karl von Goeben, born in the city. *Stadthagen: the coat of arms of the locality. *Stadtoldendorf: the coat of arms of the locality. *Stolzenau: an iron cross. *Stuttgart: ''Wackerer Schwabe'' (doughty Swabian). *Syke: a shield. *Sylt: a U-boat. *Teterow: an iron cross. *Torgau: Mackensen column, named for Field Marshal August von Mackensen, who attended the ''Gymnasium (school), gymnasium'' there for six years. *Twistringen: a horse (the Saxon Steed). *Uchte: an iron cross. *Uelzen: a shield. *Ulm: an iron cross. *Vechta: a beam. *Vellahn: Roland. *Verden an der Aller: a book. *Vienenburg: a shield. *Vierzehnheiligen: an iron cross. *Bruchhausen-Vilsen, Vilsen, Bruchhausen: an iron cross. *Völpke: an iron cross. *Volmarstein (now part of Wetter (Ruhr), Wetter) *Walsrode: the coat of arms of the locality. *Warin: the coat of arms of the locality. *Wasserburg am Inn: the lion from the town coat of arms, designed by the architect Maximilian von Mann, on the town hall door. *Weener: ''Isern Hinnerk''. *Wellingsbüttel: a ''Kriegsbom'' (war tree). *Werdenfelser Land: a fir-tree. *Wiedensahl: a plate, first nailed 31 January 1917. *

: Sigurd, Siegfried, tall, designed by Carl Wilhelm Bierbrauer and carved by three sculptors at an estimated cost of 3,000 marks, defrayed by a donor. The first nail was driven on 26 September 1915 by Elisabeth, Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe, in the pommel of the sword. The take was reportedly some 20,000 marks on the first day and 2.5 million marks overall. *Wilhelmshaven: Admiral Tirpitz, and a U-boat. **Rüstringen, now part of Wilhelmshaven: the coat of arms of the locality. *Winsen an der Luhe: an iron cross. *Wismar: the coat of arms of the locality. *Wittingen: the coat of arms of the locality. **Zasenbeck, Wittingen: an iron cross. *Groß Wokern, Wokern: an iron cross. *Wunstorf: an iron cross. *Würzburg: ''Deutscher Michel''. *Zweibrücken: the coat of arms of the locality. *Zwickau: Hindenburg.

Former German territories

=now in Denmark

= *Alsen (Als (island), Als): a soldier.

=now in Lorraine, France

= *Metz: a soldier.

=now in Poland

= *Angerburg (now Węgorzewo): Hindenburg dressed as a knight, with an iron cross on his chest. *Breslau (now Wrocław): St. Michael. *Danzig (now Gdańsk) *Gleiwitz (now Gliwice) *Graudenz (now Grudziądz): Hindenburg in armour as a Teutonic Knight. *Kattowitz (now Katowice): a column. *Jersitz, Posen (now Jeżyce, Poznań: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). *Reichenau, Silesia (now Niwa, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland)

=now in Russia

= *Königsberg (now Kaliningrad): a ''Wehrmann'' (knight). Wehrschild

Elsewhere

Argentina

*Buenos Aires: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight).

Belgium

*Liège (then occupied by the Germans): General

Bulgaria

*Sofia: a ''Wehrmann'' (knight).

now Czech Republic

*Saaz, Bohemia, now Žatec: an obelisk.

France

*Rheims (then occupied by the Germans): an eagle.

Turkey

*Istanbul: the 'iron cannon of Stamboul', a wooden replica produced by the Škoda Works, placed in front of the War Ministry and inaugurated in April 1916 to commemorate the sinking of three enemy warships off the Dardanelles in March 1915.

United States

German-Americans and Austrian-Americans also collected money by means of Nail Men, until the entry of the US into the war on the Allied side. *San Francisco: an iron cross. *Baltimore: an eagle with a red cross on its breast, used to collect donations for the German and Austrian Red Cross until 1917. In York, Pennsylvania, the same fundraising method was used with the opposite meaning: people paid 10 cents to drive a nail into the head of a statue of the kaiser with a red, white and blue handled hammer.Jim McClure
"Hammer-wielding Yorkers helped to nail kaiser's noggin"
York Blog, York Town Square, 26 December 2007, retrieved 26 August 2011.

Modern nailing

Florian Dering, a museologist at the Munich Stadtmuseum, describes a nailing game called Nagelbalken, which became popular after World War I in German-speaking countries and is still used to raise money for charity as well as at weddings, for the newlyweds to display their skills to those present.Florian Dering, ''Volksbelustigungen. Eine bildreiche Kulturgeschichte von den Fahr-, Belustigungs- und Geschicklichkeitsgeschäften der Schausteller vom achtzehnten Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart'', Dissertation, University of Munich, Nördlingen: Greno, 1986,
p. 159

References

Sources

* Heiko Bockstiegel. "Der Eiserne Burgmann im Rathaussaal zu Quakenbrück". ''Heimat-Jahrbuch Osnabrücker Land'' 1980, pp. 54 ff. * Martin Kronenberg. ''Die Bedeutung der Schule für die "Heimatfront" im Ersten Weltkrieg: Sammlungen, Hilfsdienste, Feiern und Nagelungen im Deutschen Reich''. Dissertation, University of Göttingen, 2010.
pdf at University of GöttingenGoogleBooks preview
* * Gerhard Schneider. "Über Hannoversche Nagelfiguren im ersten Weltkrieg". ''Hannoversche Geschichtsblätter'' new series 50 (1996) 216–58. * Gerhard Schneider. "Zur Mobilisierung der 'Heimatfront': Das Nageln sogenannter Kriegswahrzeichen im ersten Weltkrieg", ''Zeitschrift für Volkskunde'' 95 (1999) 32–62. * Gerhard Schneider. "Nageln in Niedersachsen im Ersten Weltkrieg". ''Niedersächsisches Jahrbuch für Landesgeschichte'' 76 (2004) 245–84. * Karl-Robert Schütze. ''Der eiserne Hindenburg''. Berlin: Karl-Robert Schütze, 2007.

External links

* {{Commons category-inline, Wehrmann in Eisen, Nail Men Austria-Hungary in World War I Cultural history of World War I German Empire in World War I Political symbols