The Berlin Victory Column was constructed between 1871 and 1873 to celebrate Germany's victory over France in the 1870/71 Franco-Prussian War. The column sits on a hall of pillars with a base of polished red granite and is crowned by a bronze statue of the goddess Victoria. The base of the column is decorated with bas-reliefs of battles. These reliefs were removed by the French after WWII then returned for the 750th anniversary of Berlin in 1987.