Built from 1825 to 1832,[3] it was designed by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves who had been the Hanover court architect since 1814.

[de ][1][5] Made out of copper and iron,[5] and about 4.55 metres (14.9 ft) tall,[2] it originated in the metalworker Conrad Beckmann's workshop.

[1] A spiral staircase with 189 steps in the column's interior leads to an observation platform on the top.

[7] Waterloo Column is a stop on the Red Thread (Roter Faden), a 4.2-kilometre-long (2.6 mi) urban walking trail through the city centre of Hanover.

[1] In the interim, in 1818 the Hanoverian Monument was constructed near the Lion's Mound in Belgium on the battlefield of Waterloo to commemorate the soldiers of the King's German Legion.

During World War II, the tower remained standing despite extensive destruction of the surrounding area by the aerial bombings of Hanover.

[4] A modern web exhibition by the Cambridge University Library recounts that "the column survived intact, bearing witness to an earlier era in which a coalition of powers was united against expansionist militarism",[4] presenting Allied unity against Germany during World War II as similar to the coalition action against Napoleon at Waterloo.

[12] While this display of patriotism may not have been officially initiated, the Waterloo Square, where the column is located, has hosted many large viewing parties for significant sporting events.

[2] In 2019, the city of Hanover approved payment for €825,000 worth of these renovations, while the German government is providing about €450,000.