Maximilian’s Stone

On February 16, 1824, the plain sandstone cube was erected as a king’s stone in honor of the first Bavarian king, Maximilian 1 (1799 -1825) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his reign, in the midst of a beautifully landscaped “King’s Garden”, as shown in the original cadastre of 1846.

This garden was located on a hill in the Kindsbach district of Schuhmacherwoog, west of Einsiedlerhof.

The following inscriptions are chiseled into the stone: „Dem Vater seines Volkes Maximilian Josef I. König von Bayern, D.16ten Febr.1824 – Unsterblichkeit gibt seinem Namen die Geschichte – Liebe und Treue bewahren ihm die Herzen der Bayern – Dem Geber der Verfassung vom 26ten Mai 1818″ (“To the father of his people Maximilian Josef I. King of Bavaria, D.16ten Febr.1824 – Immortality gives his name the history – Love and loyalty keep him the hearts of the Bavarians – The giver of the constitution of 26th May 1818”).

When speaking of the German Basic Law, it should be remembered that this king was the first regent to give a constitution to a larger German country. Since the Palatinate belonged to the Kingdom of Bavaria at that time, it is not surprising that such a monument was erected here on the anniversary of the reign of this king, who was popular with the people.

Later sand erosion destroyed the site and endangered the location of the monument. As a result, the district office of Landstuhl, as the responsible monument protection authority, forbade the sand removal and worked towards a relocation of the stone, which was carried out by the municipality of Kindsbach.

On July 9, 1937, during a ceremonial act, the monument was lifted onto its new pedestal at the forester’s lodge near the Kaiserstrasse.

The stone block did not survive the third change of location in 1959 without damage. Parts in the lower part of the block broke off and were not replaced.

Today, the silent witness stands in front of the old people’s home at the foot of the railroad bridge.

Excerpt; Source: Heimatbuch der Ortsgemeinde Kindsbach p. 112 f – author Leo Habelitz