Nail Men or Men of Nails () were a form of propaganda and fundraising for members of the armed forces and their dependents in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire in World War I. They consisted of wooden statues (usually of knights in armour) into which nails were driven, either iron (black), or coloured silver or gold, in exchange for donations of different amounts. Some took different forms, including pillars, shields or local coats of arms and crosses, especially the Iron Cross, and in German there are a variety of alternate names for them, including Wehrmann in Eisen or eiserner Wehrmann (Iron Guardian), Nagelfigur, Nagelbild or Nagelbrett (Nail Figure or Nail Board), Wehrschild (Defence Shield) and Kriegswahrzeichen (War Monument). The most famous were the original Wehrmann in Eisen in Vienna and the 'Iron Hindenburg', a statue of Hindenburg adjacent to the Victory Column in Berlin.
Origins and purpose
The idea for the Nail Men came from the Stock im Eisen in Vienna, a tree-trunk which had had nails hammered into it for centuries.Alexander Watson, Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I, Basic Books, 2014, , p. 221. The first Nail Man, a medieval knight, was set up in Vienna and was first nailed on 6 March 1915 in a public ceremony attended by many dignitaries, including members of the imperial household and the German and Ottoman ambassadors.Watson, pp. 221–22.Dietlinde Munzel-Everling, Kriegsnagelungen: Wehrmann in Eisen, Nagel-Roland, Eisernes Kreuz, Wiesbaden, August 2008, p. 3. (pdf) They were promoted as a patriotic fund-raising method in German-speaking parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and also in the German Empire, including by publications such as Gotthold Riegelmann's Der Stock in Eisen: praktische Ratschläge zur Errichtung einfacher Nagelholzmale mit Ideenskizzen und Kostenberechnungen (The Stock im Eisen: practical advice on the erection of simple wooden monuments for nailing with sketched ideas and cost calculations)Berlin: Wasmuth, n.d., ; referenced by Munzel-Everling, p. 5, and dated by her 1915. and Benno Fitzke and Paul Matzdorf's Eiserne Kreuz-Nagelungen zum Besten der Kriegshilfe und zur Schaffung von Kriegswahrzeichen (Iron cross nailings for the best benefit of war aid and for the creation of war monuments).Leipzig: Strauch, 1916, ; referenced with misspellings by Jay Winter, Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning: The Great War in European Cultural History, Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1995, repr. 1998, , pp. 82–83 and p. 245, notes 22, 23. The book has a subtitle beginning Gebrauchsfertiges Material für vaterländische Volksunterhaltung durch Feiern in Schulen (Material ready for use for patriotic amusement of the populace through celebration in schools). They have been seen as "fit[ting] in much more closely with Protestant celebrations of the Prussian military genius and the grandeur of the Kaiserreich" than with Austrian Catholicism.Winter, p. 84.
Municipalities and charitable organisations, either specially founded associations or the Red Cross, had a statue or other emblem made out of wood (oak was sometimes recommended), sometimes by well known sculptors, such as the medieval knight Wehrmann in Eisen by Mathieu Molitar on the Naschmarkt in Leipzig.Munzel-Everling, p. 4.Allen J. Frantzen, Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War, Chicago: University of Chicago, 2004, , p. 169. The nails which the donor could use depending on the level of the donation could be iron, or silver- or gold-plated. The placement of the nail also reflected the level of the donation. For example, in the case of the Iron Cross at Heidelberg, a black (iron) nail cost 1 mark, a silver nail hammered into the border, 3 marks, a nail in the '1914' inscription, 5 marks, in the 'W' for Kaiser Wilhelm, 10 marks, and in the crown at the top of the cross, 20 marks;Folker Reichert, "Heidelberger Hochschullehrer im Ersten Weltkrieg" , lecture on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Eike Wolgast, University of Heidelberg, 19 October 2001 in the case of the 'Iron Siegfried' at Wiesbaden, iron nails cost 1 mark, silver-coated, 5–20 marks, and gilded up to 300 marks, with further donations possible;Munzel-Everling, p. 10. in the case of the Hindenburg statue in Berlin, gold nails cost 100 marks, silver and black cost 5 marks, and grey 1 mark; for donations over 500 marks, a small plaque was nailed to the sword.Sherwin Simmons, "Men of nails: Monuments, expressionism, fetishism, Dadaism", RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 40, Autumn 2001, pp. 211–38, p. 211, note 2 (JSTOR) Donations were often recorded in an 'Iron Book', for example at Heidelberg, and the donor often received a lapel pin, a certificate, or some other token of the donation. Medallions, postcards and other associated merchandise were sold as a further source of funds.
An iron cross was a popular choice of form, perhaps the most popular;Munzel-Everling, p. 5; according to Franzen, p. 167, and Winter, p. 83, the most popular. it was specifically recommended by Fitzke and Matzdorf, who state that it would require 160–200 nails.Winter pp. 83–84 and p. 245, note 23, referring to Fitzke and Matzdorf p. 10. Other common shapes were shields and coats of arms, but animals, flowers and ships (including U-boats) were also nailed. The figures in human form typically were knights in armour but sometimes depicted modern soldiers or historical and legendary figures. In addition to Hindenburg, Admiral Tirpitz, Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and General Otto von Emmich were depicted as Nail Men.Munzel-Everling, pp. 6–8.
Donations were usually collected to assist the wounded or for widows and orphans of the fallen.Simmons, p. 211 mentions only "[assisting] relatives of soldiers killed in the war." But in some cases, for example at Schwäbisch Gmünd, they were intended to help supply front soldiers; in the winter of 1916, the need was particularly great.Klaus Graf, "Hans Rauchbein: ein Gmünder Bürgermeister im 16. Jahrhundert und sein falscher Ruhm", Ostalb-Einhorn 18 (1991) 116–26 (pdf) p. 124. The statues were usually prominently displayed and there was considerable social pressure to show patriotism by buying nails.Frantzen, p. 167 sees them as "promoting the war effort [as well as] raising funds". The first nail was generally ceremonially driven by an important personage at a large patriotic ceremony including hymns and specially written patriotic poems which often evoked the Age of Chivalry; Fitzke and Matzdorf provide a suggested ceremony in 24 parts. Clubs, school classes, and so on performed group nailing; there were even nailings at the front.Munzel-Everling, p. 5.
Locations
Austria
Vienna Vienna: Wehrmann im Eisen, a medieval knight in full armour.Munzel-Everling, pp. 3, 7. Alsergrund: a hunter, in an inn, donations benefitting the dependents of fallen professional hunters.Munzel-Everling, p. 32. Innere Stadt: a posthorn, in the Trade Ministry, 20 May 1917.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 33. Favoriten: a U-boat, set up by the local branch of the Austrian Fleet Association to raise money for construction of a new U-boat.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 32. Floridsdorf: a shield on a station platform, and the armorial oak of Army Chief of the General Staff Count Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf in an inn.Munzel-Everling, pp. 6, 8, 32. Stammersdorf: a shield.Munzel-Everling, p. 6. Grinzing: a grapevine, created by Professor F. Barwig of the Vienna School of Applied Arts and his students. Hietzing: a Wehrmann (knight). Kaiserebersdorf: an eagle. Landstraße: a soldier, the 'German master in iron', in the banqueting hall of the Third District, first nailed on 15 August 1915, and a field howitzer designed by the sculptor Alfred Hofmann, in the covered riding school of the 13th Field Howitzer Division's barracks in the Rennweg.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 8, 32. Leopoldstadt: a shield and a soldier.Munzel-Everling, pp. 6, 7. Meidling: a shield. Hetzendorf: an iron cross. Penzing: a Wehrmann (knight). Rodaun: a shield. Roßau: a table in a restaurant, from 12 October 1915. Wieden: one or more shields, with the proceeds divided between the fund for widows and orphans and the children of deceased members of the military from the locality.Munzel-Everling, pp. 6, 33. Vienna (precise location unknown): a U-boat donated by Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. Archduke Franz Salvator drove the first nail on behalf of Emperor Franz Joseph.
Other locations in modern Austria
Amstetten: a Wehrmann (knight).Munzel-Everling, p. 7. Bad Hall: Tassilo. Bad Ischl: a shield. Berndorf. a bear with a sword in its mouth.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 15. Dorfgastein: a shield. Enns: an Edelweiss, by the sculptor Adolph Johannes Fischer, first nailed on 21 November 1915 by a regiment. Ernstbrunn: a shield. Feldbach: a soldier. Feldkirch: a shield. Gmunden: a Wehrmann (knight). Graz: a Wehrmann (knight). Gröbming: a shield. Hall in Tirol: a shield. Innsbruck: a soldier, called the eisener Blumenteufel (Iron Flower-Devil), designed by Albin Egger-Lienz.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 22, 23. Jägerndorf: an eagle. Kaumberg: a shield. Klosterneuburg: a shield. Kritzendorf, Klosterneuburg Königstetten: a shield. Krems an der Donau: the coat of arms of the locality. Kufstein: a soldier. Leoben: a shield. Linz: a Wehrmann (knight) by the sculptor Adolph Wagner.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 26. Marchtrenk: a table, made by a Russian prisoner of war and decorated with carvings by a corporal from Trieste.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 27. Mauerkirchen: a shield. Mödling: a wooden replica of a Škodamortar, unveiled on 22 August 1915 by Archduke Franz Salvator and his wife the Archduchess Blanka.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 27–28. Mürzzuschlag: a shield. Ober-Grafendorf: a shield. Poysdorf: a shield. Reutte: a Wehrmann (knight). Ried im Innkreis: an iron cross. Salzburg: Charlemagne. Sankt Pölten: a Wehrmann (knight). Steyregg: a shield. Stockerau: an oak trunk with warlike emblems and topped by a cavalry helmet, set up by the Reserve Officers' School.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 31. Ternitz: a hand grenade, set up by the local men's chorale on 20 August 1916. Vöcklabruck: a Wehrmann (knight).Munzel-Everling, p. 31. Vornbach am Inn: a shield. Wels: Emperor Maximilian. Wiener Neustadt Wieselburg: a Wehrmann in the form of a soldier with gun.Munzel-Everling, pp. 7, 34. Unknown location
Former Austro-Hungarian territories
now in Croatia Curzola (now Korčula), Dalmatia: a ship.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 16. Škrip (Brač): oval plaque with anchor, in the Skrip Museum Pula: a lighthouse. Dubrovnik: "zeljezni domobran" (Iron Royal Croatian Home Guard), Museum of Contemporary History
now in the Czech Republic Asch, now Aš: a Wehrmann (knight). Brünn, now Brno, Moravia: a Wehrmann (knight). Budweis, now České Budějovice, Bohemia: St. Barbara. Eger, now Cheb, Bohemia: a Wehrmann (knight). Hof, now Dvorce u Bruntálu, Moravia: a shield. Prague: a Wehrmann (knight). Prerau, now Přerov, Moravia: a Wehrmann (knight). Qualisch, now Chvaleč: a shield. Saaz, now Žatec, Bohemia: an obelisk. Trebisch, now Třebíč, Moravia: a shield. Troppau, now Opava, Silesia: a shield.
Hungary Budapest: a mounted knight of the period of King Matthias I in the Deák tér, by Ferenc Sidló. Stuhlweißenburg (Székesfehérvár): a Wehrmann (knight). Szeged: a Wehrmann (knight).
now in Poland Kraków: an iron cross.
now in Romania Hermannstadt or Sibiu: a Wehrmann (knight). Klausenburg or Cluj-Napoca: a Wehrmann (knight).
South Tyrol, now in Italy
Meran: St. Michael. Schlanders: a Vinschgau eagle.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 30. Sterzing: a Wehrmann (knight). St. Ulrich in Gröden: a crusader knight.
now in Ukraine Czernowitz: an imperial eagle, set up in memory of liberation from Russian occupation, and based on the eagle on the town hall roof, which the Russians had removed.Munzel-Everling, pp. 8, 16–17. Drohobycz: a Wehrmann (knight). Lemberg (Lviv): a Wehrmann (knight).
Germany
Berlin Charlottenburg: a shield.