Beneath the Trinkhalle’s portico and among the blooming spring flowers is a bust of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Also known as William I, he was the King of Prussia from 1861 until 1888. In 1871, after unifying with Germany, he also became the first German emperor. An estimated 1,000 statues were erected in his honor until 1918 when his grandson, Wilhelm II, was ousted. Then Germany became a republic and Friedrich Ebert became the country’s first president.
