On October 22nd 1844 the town of Frankfurt inaugurated the “Goethe Monument” (Goethe-Denkmal) which was created by the sculptor Ludwig von Schwanthaler and situated in the former Stadtallee, which was renamed to Goetheplatz in 1849. The money which was needed to create the monument picturing the most renowned son of Frankfurt was donated by the people.

At the beginning, the danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen was appointed to design the monument. He didn’t fulfill his obligations and in 1841 Ludwig von Schwanthaler was asked to create the Goethe Monument, around this time he was one of the most renowned sculptors in Germany.

Schwanthaler didn’t take any money for his first conceputal design. He endowed the original remuneration of 5 000 Gulden to the citizens of the city of Frankfurt.

In March 1844 the monument was manufactured as a hollow-cast in bronze and on October 22nd 1844 it was set up.

The larger-than-life statue is positioned on a cubic foundation with allegoric reliefs and epic illustrations of different scenes from Goethes’ works.

The monument was strongly damaged during World War Second and to protect it, it was entrenched in 1944. Four years later the monument was unearthed and brought to the Liebighaus. Starting on from August 28th 1952, Goethes’ 203rd birthday, the neo-classical monument was set up in the Gallus-Anlage.

The newly restored Goethe Monument was placed back on its original position when the Goetheplatz (Goethesquare) was renovated in 2007.

The larger-than-life bronze statue of the poet Friedrich von Schiller is set up on a Syenitfoundation in the Taunusanlage in front of the Theatre.

After Johannes Dielmanns’ model made out of cement was demonstrated on top of the Römerberg (Römerhill), Frankfurts citizenry wished for an effigy made out of bronze of Schiller for his 100th birthday in the year 1859.

In the competition this statue received the first price and should soon be manufactured. On May 8th 1860 the Senat of Frankfurt authorized the construction of the monument on the Paradeplatz/Paradesquare for the price of around 14 070 Gulden. The foundry F. von Miller located in Munich was in charge of the manufacturing of the monument and on May 9th 1864 it was unveiled on the former Paradeplatz which was thereafter renamed Schillerplatz/ Schillersquare.

Later the Schiller Monument was placed on the Rathenauplatz and in May 1955, for the 150th anniversary of the death of Schiller, it relocated to the Taunusanlage.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.