After the 1888 death of emperor William I, numerous memorials were erected in his honour all over Germany. The Kyffhäuser Monument had initially been proposed by the 19th century War Veterans Federation (Deutscher Kriegerbund), which as Kyffhäuser Federation (Kyffhäuserbund) took over its management around 1900. Architect Bruno Schmitz drew up plans in accord with the late 19th century tradition of imperial grandeur, realized in massive stone structures like the Bavarian Walhalla memorial, the Hermannsdenkmal in the Teutoburg Forest, or the Niederwalddenkmal near Rüdesheim.