Station: [7] Kriemhild Windmill / Relief

It immediately grabs the attention: One of Xanten’s landmarks, the Kriemhild Windmill. Since Xanten is also Siegfried’s City, names such as this evoke the saga of the Nibelungs. According to the song of the Nibelungs, Kriemhild, a Burgundian Princess, married the hero Siegfried of Xanten and bore him a son. The Kriemhild Windmill was built on the foundations of a fortified tower as a so-called “Dutch Gallery Mill”. This type of mill is fitted with a rotating dome or hood and is one of the classic modern mills. In the 14th Century, it was part of the Xanten’s city fortifications, later it also served as a home for the night watchmen and as an oil mill. Like the Cleves Gate, the mill should have been demolished in 1843. However, these attempts failed thanks to the efforts of the City Council at the time, which sought to preserve Xanten’s mediaeval character for posterity. Right here on the north wall, next to the Kriemhild Windmill, is the relief “Siegfried in Xanten” by the artist Erika Rutert. The three most important episodes of the saga have been immortalised by the artist in this relief: Siegfried's departure from Xanten for the court in Worms, the fight between Kriemhild and Brunhild and, in the centre, the death of Siegfried at the hands of Hagen of Tronje. If you want to learn more about this legendary Prince of Xanten, we recommend you to visit the Siegfried Museum.