Nagelsäule, Mainz

The Nagelsäule in Mainz is a symbolic pillar erected during World War I as part of a German fundraising and propaganda campaign known as the "war nailing" initiative. The concept behind the pillar was to encourage donations for charitable causes, where donors would drive nails into the structure in exchange for contributing to the war effort. The design for the Nagelsäule was selected through a competition initiated by Mayor Karl Göttelmann on November 9, 1915. Out of 71 submitted entries, the design by city master builder Adolf Gelius and sculptor Ludwig Lipp was chosen on December 23, 1915.

Inaugurated on July 1, 1916, the structure is made from oak trunks and surrounded by three limestone pillars, representing the allegories of charity, bravery, and unity. Each donor had the chance to hammer a nail into the oak wood, with prices ranging from 50 reichspfennigs for the smallest nail to 20 marks for a gold-plated one. The most prominent participants in the ceremony were the Hessian Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig and his family, who drove in the first nails. Proceeds from the campaign were directed towards war children's welfare, vacation camps for disadvantaged children, and the National Women’s Service, which supported the families of soldiers.

After undergoing restoration, the Nagelsäule was reintroduced to the public on July 21, 2011. Now suspended from a seven-meter-high stainless steel construction, the wooden pillar has been preserved, with its nails protected by a special layer to ensure its longevity. The restoration symbolizes the historical significance and the continued remembrance of the communal efforts during a turbulent period in German history.