New Ulm City Council unanimously approved a $103,250 contract with MacDonald & Mack Architects to create document detailing the process and cost of dismantling and reconstructing Hermann Monument.

NEW ULM – On Tuesday, the New Ulm City Council took the first step in the process for restoration of the Hermann Monument.

The council authorized entering into a contract with MacDonald & Mack Architects to prepare detailed cost estimates for the dismantling and reconstruction of select pieces of Hermann Monument. The cost for his contract is $103,250.

For years, the city has worked to repair or renovate the Hermann Monument. Water infiltration has created structural problems and undermined the monument’s integrity. In 2019, the city conducted an assessment of the monument and confirmed there were substantial structural issues with the monument.

Park and Recreation Director Joey Schugel said staff have been working with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and MacDonald & Mack on how best to restore the monument.

The plan is to remove the Hermann and lion statues from the monument then start disassembling the monument dome and base piece-by-piece. Along the way, the deconstruction crew would determine how much of the monument could be salvaged for the rebuild and determine how the monument was constructed, allowing the city to rebuild it. The documents created by MacDonald & Mack Architects will allow the city to start the process.

Schugel said there was sufficient money in the Hermann Reserve fund to cover the cost of the documents. There will be $400,000 in the fund by the end of 2025 with another $100,000 added to the fund in 2026.

Councilor Tom Schmitz made the motion to authorize the contract for the documents with a second from Councilor David Christian and was unanimously approved by the council.

Schugel said MacDonald & Mack Architects expect to have the documents completed within eight weeks of signing the contract.