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MARK STEIL: The statue has rested on the ground next to its pedestal since it was taken down in February of last year. The restoration included a new boot, a repaired shoulder, and some much needed soldering. Workers closed several dozen bullet holes in the copper skin. Before the statue was lifted into place, Cleo Bohne took what likely will be her last ever ground level look at Hermann.

CLEO BOHNE: Well, I'm a newcomer to New Ulm. And I'm so happy to see that he's down and been repaired. He is really a handsome man. If he can make it another 106 years, he'll do a whole lot better than we flesh and blood folk.

MARK STEIL: Bohne says the statue is a symbol of New Ulm. The city was settled by mainly German immigrants in the 1850s. Bohne wished the statue luck moments before it was lifted back into place.

CLEO BOHNE: Oh, I hope no one shoots at him. Water got inside because people shot at him. Can you imagine? I'm hoping people are wiser now.

MARK STEIL: A couple hundred people were on hand to watch the statue's re-ascent. Workers waited on top of the pedestal. As a crane lifted Hermann skyward, John Fritsche, of New Ulm, called his son in Louisiana. He gave him a play-by-play of Hermann's return to glory.

JOHN FRITSCHE: Starting to swing him. Now they're going to swing him over some more. He is 6 feet from going down.

[APPLAUSE]

MARK STEIL: As the statue touched home, the crowd applauded. Among those watching was Denis Warta, who chaired the restoration effort. He says Hermann is made of sheets of copper, hammered by artisans into the proper shapes. It's the same process used in the Statue of Liberty in New York. Inside Hermann, a spider's web of iron support beams holds the statue together. Warta says more than a million dollars were spent repairing the statue.

DENIS WARTA: They had to replace some of the pieces of copper. The boot had to be totally redone. Much of the inside iron was OK. But they coated it with a preservative to prevent further rusting. Some of the iron at the very bottom was badly rusted and had to be replaced.

MARK STEIL: He said the statue had deteriorated so much, there was a real possibility that a severe windstorm could have brought it down. The statue depicts an ancient German warrior who defeated the Romans in battle. Warta says he hopes the refurbished Hermann will symbolize the role German immigrants played in the development of America.

DENIS WARTA: I would hope that it would be greater than just the city of New Ulm. I would hope that the entire nation should be proud of a symbol for still the largest ethnic group in the country. With the contributions that they have made to the greatness of our nation, I think it's worthwhile to honor that group.

MARK STEIL: The statue was first lowered onto its pedestal overlooking New Ulm in 1897. City officials hope to have a formal rededication ceremony for the restored statue sometime next year. Mark Steil, Minnesota Public Radio.

SPEAKER: Prosecutors want to try--

MARK STEIL: --Bohne took what likely will be her last ever--

The statue has rested on the ground next to its pedestal since it was taken down in February of last year. The restoration included a new boot, a repaired shoulder, and some much needed soldering. Workers closed several dozen bullet holes in the copper skin. Before the statue was lifted into place, Cleo Bohne took what likely will be her last ever ground level look at Hermann.

CLEO BOHNE: Well, I'm a newcomer to New Ulm. And I'm so happy to see that he's down and been repaired. He is really a handsome man. If he can make it another 106 years, he'll do a whole lot better than we flesh and blood folk.

MARK STEIL: Bohne says the statue is a symbol of New Ulm. The city was settled by mainly German immigrants in the 1850s. Bohne wished the statue luck moments before it was lifted back into place.

CLEO BOHNE: Oh, I hope no one shoots at him. Water got inside because people shot at him. Can you imagine? I'm hoping people are wiser now.

MARK STEIL: A couple hundred people were on hand to watch the statue's re-ascent. Workers waited on top of the pedestal. As a crane lifted Hermann skyward, John Fritsche of New Ulm called his son in Louisiana. He gave him a play-by-play of Hermann's return to glory.

JOHN FRITSCHE: Starting to swing him. Now they're going to swing him over some more. He is 6 feet from going down.

[APPLAUSE]

MARK STEIL: As the statue touched home, the crowd applauded. Among those watching was Denis Warta, who chaired the restoration effort. He says Hermann is made of sheets of copper, hammered by artisans into the proper shapes. It's the same process used to make the Statue of Liberty in New York. Inside Hermann, a spider's web of iron support beams holds the statue together. Warta says more than a million dollars were spent repairing the statue.

DENIS WARTA: They had to replace some of the pieces of copper. The boot had to be totally redone. Much of the inside iron was OK. But they coated it with a preservative to prevent further rusting. Some of the iron at the very bottom was badly rusted and had to be replaced.

MARK STEIL: He says the statue had deteriorated so much, there was a real possibility that a severe windstorm could have brought it down. The statue depicts an ancient German warrior who defeated the Romans in battle. Warta says he hopes the refurbished Hermann will symbolize the role German immigrants played in the development of America.

DENIS WARTA: I would hope that it would be greater than just the city of New Ulm. I would hope that the entire nation should be proud of a symbol for still the largest ethnic group in the country. With the contributions that they have made to the greatness of our nation, I think it's worthwhile to honor that group.

MARK STEIL: The statue was first lowered onto its pedestal overlooking New Ulm in 1897. City officials hope to have a formal rededication ceremony for the restored statue sometime next year. Mark Steil, Minnesota Public Radio.