This is the plaque attached to the base of the monument. It reads:

Bismarck Monument

In memory of the first Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire, Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), erected 1903 - 1906 by a committee of Hamburg citizens, supported by Senate and citizenry, designed by the architect Emil Schaudt and the sculptor Hugo Lederer.

The colossal figure harkens back to statues of [the legendary knight] Roland of the Middle Ages and symbolizes the protection of the Empire for Hamburg's Seafaring and Commerce, but demonstrates also the imperal title of Hamburg as "Gateway to the World"

Bismarck Monument Plaque