Photo Credit: Cheryl Kormann
With more than 40 park units—some developed and others undeveloped—within the city of New Ulm, in Minnesota, it takes something special to be near the top of the list. One special park is Hermann Heights Park, located in the center of New Ulm and home to Hermann the German Monument. This 102-foot monument towers over the city and depicts Hermann the Cherusci, the ancient hero whose army liberated Germany from Roman rule in 9 A.D. As German immigrants came to the U.S., the legend of Hermann as the father of German independence and a symbol of honor and pride came with them. In 1840, a national “Order of the Sons of Hermann” was founded in New York. In 1887, the Order commissioned a statue of Hermann similar to the one in Germany to be erected in New Ulm. It took nearly a decade to complete the 4,000-pound statue, designated by the U.S. Congress in 2000 as a national symbol of German heritage.
Each year, tens of thousands of visitors climb a spiral staircase to the base of the statue for a stunning, panoramic view of the city and the Minnesota River Valley. The park also has an interpretive center that houses artifacts and various media that educate visitors about the legend of the folk hero. The park has two seasonal shelters that are rented to the public most weekends, and restrooms. Now, the park is also home to southern Minnesota’s first inclusive playground.
Before, as the poorest-looking playground in New Ulm’s most visited park, the aging playground still had pea gravel for its surfacing, which did not meet ADA requirements. The city initially budgeted $75,000 for replacement. Representatives from Allina Health and the New Ulm Medical Center Foundation approached the park and recreation department with a proposal to partner with the city on its Courage Kenny Rehabilitation fundraising project, which is an outlet for youth and adults to continue rehabilitation outside the walls of the medical center. Since the park and recreation department already had plans to replace the play equipment at Hermann Heights Park, both parties decided to join forces to design and create an inclusive playground that would be welcoming to individuals of all abilities and ages, a place for children, parents, grandparents, siblings, caregivers, and friends to enjoy together.