Built: 1915 to 1916
Designed by: City architect Adolf Gelius and Ludwig Lipp, sculptor from Mainz

World War I: The blockade of the German Empire by the Entente was having an effect. The population began to starve. Sausage and meat rations were set at 250 grams per person. At this point, in the fall of 1915, the then mayor of Mainz, Dr. Karl Emil Göttelmann, came up with an idea that had already been successful in other cities such as Mannheim, Berlin, Cologne, and Aachen. He called on the citizens of Mainz to donate money to alleviate the hardship caused by the war.

A memorial was to symbolize this effort: "A proud, defiant and powerful structure, suitable for allowing everyone to express their firm determination to support the good cause in memory of our brave defenders of the fatherland by hammering and driving in nails."

The nail column on Liebfrauenplatz is the result of this "fundraising campaign" and at the same time a sign of the willingness of the people of Mainz to make sacrifices and endure suffering at that time. In a ceremony, each donor was allowed to hammer a nail into the monument. The cheapest was available for one Reichsmark, while the most expensive, with a gold-plated head, cost 20 Reichsmarks.

Several thousand people, including the entire grand ducal family, gathered on the square, which was decorated with flags and plants, for the inauguration ceremony of the war memorial on July 1, 1916. Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse, his wife, and the two princes were allowed to hammer in the first nails. On August 20, 1916, the nailing of the column was completed. The fundraising campaign brought in a total of 170,000 Reichsmarks, equivalent to around 800,000 euros in today's purchasing power.

The Mainz sculptor Ludwig Lipp erected the monument within a few months. It consists of a circle with three stone side columns surrounding a wooden central column—the actual nail column. Due to its size and circumference, the seven-meter-high main column had to be assembled from several bundles of oak trunks. These were firmly connected to each other with iron bands, resulting in a structure divided into several ring surfaces. This suggested the idea of characterizing each ring with a specific theme.

The main pillar, crowned by the "Iron Cross" and the motto "In Kriegsnot helf uns Gott" (In times of war, God help us), is divided into three parts. The upper main ring deals with the theme of "war work" and shows an armorer, a warrior with a flag, and a soldier with his son. The rosettes and pilaster strips, arrow-like, protruding strips that further subdivide the ring fields, bear metal plaques with the names of the donors, mainly associations and companies, as well as carved representations, some of which refer to their work.

The middle ring is all about the theme of "state." The imperial eagle with the imperial crown, the Hessian lion, and the Mainz wheel are depicted there. Other figures, symbols, and mottos represent various professional groups in the judiciary, the healing professions, trade, industry, teaching, and agriculture.

The lower ring is dedicated to the theme of "love" and depicts only women. One woman is sowing grain, another is distributing bread to children, and another is caring for a wounded person. The depictions are connected by rosettes designed by representatives of different religious communities. This ring features a cross, the Luther rose, and a six-pointed Jewish star with Hebrew characters.

The area below the main rings is designed as the main nail field. It is covered with a variety of rosettes, emblems, banners, and plaques without a uniform thematic theme. The different contributions of numerous donors have resulted in a unique variety of elements that distinguish Mainz's "nail painting" from those of other cities.

The restored column has been back in its place since 2011. It serves as a memorial to the difficult times during the First World War.