Hercules monument (Kassel)

Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). The statue is located at the top of a pyramid, which stands on top of the octagon; the statue and the other parts of the monument were constructed at different times. Today "Hercules" refers to the whole monument, including the Octagon and Pyramid. The monument is the highest point in the Wilhelmshöhe Bergpark.

The monument is located in Bad Wilhelmshöhe, on the Eastern ridge of the Habichtswald. It was built in an artificial dell of the Karlsberg (526 m (1,726 ft) above sea level) on the western-most and highest location (515 m (1,690 ft)) of the line of sight Schloss Wilhelmshöhe – Hercules.

The Hercules monument and the surrounding Wilhelmshöhe Bergpark were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2013, owing to their outstanding Baroque architecture and intricate water features.

Design

Water features

The water features were built on 3 June 1714. The cascades are a 250-meter (820 ft) long stone structure shaped like a staircase. The water starts from the Hercules monument and runs down the cascades, Steinhöfer's waterfall, the devil's bridge, finally tumbling down the aqueduct before finally arriving at the lake where a fountain of about 50 meters (160 ft) ends the spectacle. About 350,000 liters (77,000 imp gal; 92,000 U.S. gal) of water are needed.

This system relies on natural pressure from reservoirs and underground pipes whose locks are opened manually

During the summer (from May until October every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon), visitors can attend this event. Additionally, every first Saturday of the months of June, July, August and September this event takes place during the evening with lights of different colors illuminating the water, the fountain and the monument features.

Octagon and statue

The Hercules monument has a total height of 70.5 meters (231 ft): 32.65 meters (107.1 ft) for the Octagon; 29.60 meters (97.1 ft) for the Pyramid and 8.25 meters (27.1 ft) for the statue. The height difference between top of the statue and the bottom of the cascades is 179 meters (587 ft).