Bismarck Monument (Barmen)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bismarck monument

The Bismarck monument in the then independent town of Barmen (now part of Wuppertal ) was inaugurated in 1902. It was made by the Berlin sculptor Hugo Lederer and originally stood in front of the old town hall in Barmer on Werther Straße (today's name: Werth ); In the year the new Barmer town hall was completed, it was moved to its current location in front of the Barmer Hall of Fame on Geschwister-Scholl-Platz in autumn 1921 .

description

The Barmer Bismarck Monument consists of a 3.5 m high substructure made of Swedish granite , which was made in the Berlin workshop Kessel & Röhl . The 3.25 m high statue of Bismarck stands on it , a seated portrait of the muse Klio on the front of the substructure serves as an accompanying figure . Both figures were cast in bronze based on the models by Lederer in the H. Noack foundry in Berlin . Below the Clio-Fugur the substructure bears the inscription "Bismarck".

history

The city of Barmen awarded the former Chancellor Otto von Bismarck honorary citizenship on April 1, 1895, on the occasion of his 80th birthday . On this occasion, it was also discussed for the first time to erect a monument to Bismarck in Barmen.

From the inauguration on January 18, 1900, the anniversary of the imperial proclamation in Versailles (1871), the supraregional Kölnische Zeitung , especially renowned for its cultural feature pages , reported :

“ Barmen, January 18th. On today's commemoration of the rebuilding of the German Empire, a statue of the man was ceremoniously unveiled here, to whom the rebirth of Germany deserves special thanks. The suggestion had been given on the 80th birthday of the former Reich Chancellor at a jubilee ceremony in the Concordia and had found such a friendly reception in all circles of the citizenry that in the end over 110,000 marks was raised. A design by the sculptor Hugo Lederer in Berlin, who had won second prize for a Bismarck monument in Düsseldorf, was selected; only one figure of the Klio was changed. The city council made the space in front of the old town hall available.

The statue is artful in every way; The figure of Bismarck in the interim uniform of his Halberstadt Cuirassiere rises on a 3½ m high base made of Swedish granite. With his cloak open, the former Chancellor holds the pallasch in his left hand, while his right hangs down ... on the steps of the pedestal at the feet of the Chancellor sits the muse of history with his helmet and sword taken off, to write down the great deeds of the mighty blacksmith with an iron pen Writing history ... The Chairman of the Monument Committee, Ad. Erbslöh gave the consecration speech ... and handed the monument over to the city with the words: “And when the present and future citizens of Barmen who pass by the monument involuntarily receive a patriotic suggestion through a glance at the tall figure, a strengthening of their nationality When Prince Bismarck, the embodiment of the feeling of duty towards the fatherland, occasionally admonishes him to fulfill his duty, the monument will not only be an adornment of the city, no, then it will have a higher purpose: it will be hers given as a blessing! " "

- Kölnische Zeitung of January 19, 1900, No. 50

From the afternoon of the opening day, a celebration for 250 invited guests took place in the Barmer town hall . The evening was accompanied by the illumination of the memorial with magnesium torches and ended with a fireworks display in the Barmer facilities at the war memorial.

The cost of the monument was 100,000 marks . From the funds of the monument fund , 3,000 marks remained; According to a resolution of the city ​​council , the interest on this amount should be used to finance Bismarck's birthday on April 1st every year to decorate the memorial with flowers.

literature

Web links

Commons : Bismarck Monument  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 51 ° 16 ′ 18.3 ″  N , 7 ° 12 ′ 10.9 ″  E