The Lincoln Memorial was built to commemorate the president’s tragic assassination in 1865. In the end, it took more than 50 years before the ground finally broke on the memorial project, and construction began. From here, it would take another ten or so years before the final monument was completed. In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was finally opened to the general public.
The dedication ceremony celebrated and unified both civilians and veterans. Sadly it did not succeed in unifying a large part of the population as those attending the 1922 dedication ceremony were divided along racial lines even if it appeared to advocate for equality.
Dresden Frauenkirche Then
A real-life example of the great atrocities of war is the German city of Dresden which was brought to almost complete ruin in 1945. Great efforts to reconstruct the Dresden Frauenkirche were carried out, despite the country’s then Communist regime's refusal to rebuild the historic landmark. As a result, the ruins of the Frauenkirche church remained untouched for years—“a symbol against war and as a memorial for those who were killed.”
Finally, in 1989, following the monumentally historic fall of the Berlin Wall, the city of Dresden carried forward with a concrete plan to reconstruct the Frauenkirche church. This longstanding reconstruction project stretched on for decades. It was not until 2005 that the reconstruction of the city’s beloved church was finally officially completed. Despite annual neo-Nazi attempts to march in the area around the church in commemoration of its destruction every year on February 13, in recent years, these marches have been largely suppressed by an incredible human chain, linked together by more than 10,000 protestors.
Dresden Frauenkirche Today
Though the Church was largely destroyed as a result of World War II attacks on the city of Dresden, thankfully, the Martin Luther Statue placed in front of the church was far luckier. Originally built in the 18th century, this statue memorializes Martin Luther, the famed forerunner and leader of the Protestant Reformation. While prior to World War II, the city center of Dresden was majorly occupied by residential buildings, nowadays, only a few of these structures can be found in the area.
Today, most of the buildings in the center are taken up by shops, museums, hotels, restaurants, and office spaces. Though a large part of the city has in fact been successfully restored to its former glory pre-WWII, this restoration is far from over. Upon visiting the city today, visitors will still find a myriad of construction sites scattered throughout many areas and streets of the city.
The Lincoln Memorial Today
In more recent years, this historic site has become an area for some of the nation’s most important civil justice movements. Of the many historic events to occur at the Lincoln Memorial, perhaps the most notable to date is Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream” speech. Given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, this iconic speech gave a “new voice to the meanings that reverberated through the stone.” According to Statista, today the Lincoln Memorial hosts an average of approximately 6 million visitors every year. In 2018, this number rose to an estimated 7.8 million.
The Lincoln Memorial is inscribed with excerpts from two of Lincoln’s most famous speeches: The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. He is largely regarded as a “Savior of the Union,” so it’s only right that the monument has served as a site for many protests and speeches throughout the years.
The Eiffel Tower Then
Believe it or not, the city actually built the Eiffel Tower as an entrance to the World Fair of 1889. Of all the artists who submitted proposals, it was the architect, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel that ultimately received the honor of constructing the great Parisian monument. It is notable to point out that it was actually one of his employees, Maurice Koechlin—not Eiffel himself—that devised the Eiffel Tower’s original design and conception. When the Eiffel Tower first made its debut at 1,000 feet high was deemed the tallest building in the world.
Despite its popularity today, back then many Parisians hated it as they either feared the structure was unsound or believed that it was nothing more than an annoying eyesore. It was even scheduled for demolition in 1909, with the arrival of World War I but was put on hold, as the tower ultimately proved to be a vital radiotelegraph station for the country and its Allies.