Germany - Donaustauf, Walhalla

The Walhalla - modeled on the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens - is a Hall of Fame to honor German speaking artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, politicians and other historic men and women. (For me as a Dutchman it was a bit odd to see some famous countrymen surrounded by numerous Germans.) The Walhalla is named after the ‘Valhalla’ of Norse mythology.

King Ludwig I of Bavaria commissioned conceived his Temple of Fame in the early 19th Century. After choosing the location on a hilltop overlooking the river Danube, he ordered the construction of a Greek Revival monument. The building, called Walhalla, was built from 1830 to 1842 and became a symbol of "the German nation" at a time when Germany was a patchwork of kingdoms and small states.

The large hall of the Walhalla is lined with marble and statuary, displaying some 130 busts and plaques of famous people from the German-speaking, who made notable contributions to German art, architecture, and history. Since 1962 new busts have been added to the original 96 at intervals of five to seven years.