Monument to the Battle of the Nations - das Völki

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations, located in Leipzig, Germany, commemorates a pivotal battle in the Napoleonic Wars. It is also a potential hiding spot for the Obturavi’s Epistolith and a possible answer to the second half of the Declan prophecy, “Victory I Predict Beginning Where Napoleon Battle Ends”.

In Girl in the Glass, Mary Elizabeth shares an image of the exterior of a massive stone tower obscured by scaffolding. She hears “dinkmal”, similar to the German word “denkmal”, meaning monument, sending the Clypeate hunting across Europe looking for the correct memorial to fulfill the second half of the Declan prophecy. It’s not until later, when Declan draws the images shared by Mary Elizabeth, that the monument’s phallic shape is immediately recognized by German SS officers, calling it das Völki.

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations, also known as the Völkerschlachtdenkmal, is endearingly nicknamed Das Völki. The 300-foot-tall monument, the tallest in Europe, memorializes the Battle of the Nations, also known as the Battle of Leipzig, a pivotal battle fought from October 16th-19th, 1813, near Leipzig, Germany. The bloodiest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, the Battle of the Nations shattered Napoleon's power in Germany and marked a major turning point in the French ruler’s struggle for European conquest. Until World War I, this was the largest battle in European history.

The Battle of Leipzig took place in 1813, after Napoleon retreated from his failed Russian campaign. Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 in order to, according to Girl in the Glass, divert attention away from his troops bringing the Egyptian Epistolith to France via Russia’s southern territory. Although Napoleon was defeated in Russia, mainly by a combination of harsh cold, starvation, and rampant disease, he successfully distracted Russian forces, allowing him to meet up with the Epsitolith outside Leipzig, Germany. However, before Napoleon could return to France with his prized Epistolth, a coalition of European nations surrounded his forces. Rather than risk losing the Epistolith, Napoleon ordered the massive crystal buried under the Leipzig battlefield before retreating, fulfilling the prophecy, “Where Napoleon Battle Ends”.

One hundred years after the battle, das Völki was completed, the (not according to Declan’s drawing) pyramidal-shaped monument constructed from 1898 to 1913. The stone monument’s exterior is carved with a 60-foot-high battle scene, in the center a colossal statue of Archangel Saint Michael guarding the entrance.

There is a long reflecting pool extending outward from the monument’s base, representing the tears of the coalition of nations for their fallen heroes. Inside, the circular first floor contains a ring of eight warrior statues, honoring the fallen soldiers. This is where the Clypeate encounters the quiet, stubborn old man hiding in a dark corner, the key to finding the Obturavi’s location.