Plan of Siegesallee with the 32 groups of figures, 1902
The list of figure groups in Berlin's Siegesallee includes 32 figure groups from the former Siegesallee in Berlin's Tiergarten .
The groups made of marble consisted of 32 statues, each 2.75 meters high, depicting all margraves and electors of Brandenburg , kings of Prussia and emperors of Germany between 1165 and 1888. Each statue was assigned two smaller busts of people who played an important role in the life or time of the respective rulers. The groups were arranged on a semicircular platform that was closed at the back by a bench. The two secondary characters were fitted into the bench and divided it into three sections. The statues stood centrally on a plinth above the three-step platform staircase.
The monumental avenue, ridiculed by parts of the Berlin population as "Puppenallee", was built between 1895 and 1901 on behalf of Kaiser Wilhelm II. The artistic director was the sculptor Reinhold Begas , the historical program was directed by the historian and president of the Prussian Secret State Archives Reinhold Koser . Siegesallee was demolished after the Second World War , and some figures are missing. Most of the remaining, partially damaged monuments were buried in the Bellevue Palace Park and were stored in the Lapidarium in Berlin-Kreuzberg from 1978 to 2009 after they were excavated . In May 2009 the 26 statues and 40 busts, including two busts from the so-called groups 33 and 34, were moved to the Spandau Citadel . There they were restored and have been part of the new permanent exhibition “Unveiled. Berlin and its monuments ”.
The list also lists two additional groups that were set up in 1903 on the semicircular square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and are based on the style of the Siegesallee groups. The list gives details for each group: title, function, reign and dynasty of the main character; the persons represented by the secondary busts and their function; Sculptor of the group; Date of disclosure; The whereabouts and state of preservation of the figures. In addition, some groups contain additional information on the history of their creation, composition or artistic design.
Postcard (around 1900), in the foreground the group with Otto II.
Bishop Otto von Bamberg (around 1060–1139). Since the statue Albrecht as conqueror of paganism conceives, two bishops are chosen as Beifiguren which is the missionary "earned" had made.
Albrecht on one of the few preserved pedestals since 1978 in the courtyard of the Spandau Citadel , Wigger also in the Citadel since May 2009, Otto since 2003 on loan from the State of Berlin in the permanent Otto von Bamberg exhibition in the Demmin Bartholomäus Church . Statue of Albrecht supplemented with missing parts and restored; both busts are missing smaller parts, their heads are intact or, in Wigger's case, reattached. All three figures have been part of the permanent exhibition in the citadel since 2016.
Design note:
Schott shaped Albrecht's facial features from his own head. He looked for models for the secondary characters in a newspaper advertisement. From around 40 applicants, he selected a fisherman from the Brandenburg region, a charming old man and, for the Bamberg man, a fat Cologne cooper . Because he had the idea of a skinny, half-starved priest from the Brandenburg citizen , since there was not so much to eat in the Mark, whereas with the Bamberg man, due to his well-off archdiocese, he thought of an educated, very sedate and round man.
Otto I. (parts broken off, severe contour damage) since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel; Pribislaw (only head preserved) in private ownership in Berlin; Sibold at Hofgut Waldeck in Utting am Ammersee , former property of the Siebold family.
Albrecht II. (C. 1150–1220), youngest son of Otto I, brother of Otto II.
Title, position:
fourth Margrave of Brandenburg
Reign:
1205-1220
Princely family:
Ascanians
Secondary figure on the left:
Eike von Repgow (1180/1190 – after 1233), author of the Sachsenspiegel . (No connection to Albrecht II. The choice of the secondary character is probably due to the fact that the Sachsenspiegel, as the most important legal book of the German Middle Ages, also had a great influence on Brandenburg and Northern Germany.)
Since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel (Albrecht II and Salza heads broken off and reassembled in 1984; Albrecht missing parts; Repkow left hand broken off, present; Salza arm with certificate missing)
Double statue of the brothers Johann I (1213–1266) and Otto III. (1215–1267), who ruled together, sons of Albrecht II. During the reign of the two of them the founding of Berlin (official founding date 1237) and the monastery of Chorin fall .
Title, position:
fifth and sixth Margrave of Brandenburg
Reign:
Johann I. 1220-1266; Otto III. 1220-1267
Princely family:
Ascanians
Secondary figure on the left:
Simeon von Cölln (second founding city of Berlin), provost , named as a witness in the first document of Cölln (October 28, 1237) (with Johann I and Bishop Gernand von Brandenburg)
Secondary figure on the right:
Marsilius , first proven mayor of Berlin (other information: von Cölln)
Double statue (head of Otto broken off, added again in 1984; other parts broken off) from 1978 to 2009 in the Lapidarium, Berlin-Kreuzberg; Moved from the Lapidarium to the Spandau Citadel on May 6th. Busts (some parts broken off) have been in the citadel, powder room of the bastion König for a long time.
Design note:
Johann I and Otto III. are considered to be the founding fathers of the city of Berlin or its origin, the twin cities of Berlin and Cölln , through being granted city rights . Johann I, seated on a stone, has spread the document over his knees that is said to have given Berlin and Cölln city rights. The close connection between the two margraves of Berlin / Cölln is also due to the choice of secondary characters.
Relief from 1909 based on the Siegesallee statue in Berlin-Mariendorf , photo 2007
Figures 2019 Johann II at the back, Count Gunther at the front without a head.
Main character:
Johann II (* 1237 (?); † September 10, 1281), son of Johann I.
Title, position:
Margrave of Brandenburg, co-regent of his brother Otto IV. (With the arrow) . No information is available on the reasons why a co-regent was admitted to Siegesallee.
Count Gunther I. von Lindow (* around 1230, † around 1284) from the noble family of those von Lindow-Ruppin ; the count testified to several documents of Johann and was probably in his entourage.
Secondary figure on the right:
Konrad Belitz, also Konrad von Beelitz (? {First mentioned 1288} –1308), long-distance trader, merchant, councilor and mayor (?) Of Berlin; Oldest preserved, artistically worked tombstone in Berlin, Franciscan monastery , today in the Märkisches Museum .
Main figure (slight contour damage) and bust of Count Günter (without head) since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel; Bust of Konrad Belitz missing (should be transferred to the Märkisches Museum according to the municipal decision of July 7, 1947 ).
Design note:
Felderhoff's design fell completely out of line by choosing an (almost modern), large-scale typifying form against the common historicizing art (see in detail: Felderhoff, Siegesalleegruppe ).
Johann von Kröcher , called Droiseke , with mentions in at least 180 documents between 1281 and 1321 the best-documented Brandenburg knight and nobleman of the Ascanian period, extensive land ownership
Secondary figure on the right:
Johann von Buch, the representative of his brother Johann II , made sure that Otto was ransomed from captivity, even though Otto had released him as an advisor
Main character (only head preserved) in private ownership in Berlin; Busts since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel (from Buch ohne Kopf, lost)
Design note:
Otto IV's blindfold refers to the arrow wound he suffered when he was around 40 years old. The lyre on the tree trunk, crowned with oak leaves, emphasizes his importance as a minstrel . The tournament helmet in the left arm and the sword show the heroic, warlike features of the margrave.
Since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel (main character contour damage; slight damage to the bases of the busts)
Annotation:
Since Waldemar was considered the most important Ascanian of the Brandenburg region, Wilhelm II attached particular importance to the design of this group and entrusted the work to Reinhold Begas, the artistic director of the overall Siegesallee project. But he was unable to gain any interest in the order (which, according to Lehnert, could also be seen in the figure) and tried to hand over the work. The emperor did not comply with the request.
Since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel (main character without head, right arm, left leg; Wedigo (= Zille) head is missing)
Annotation:
Since Heinrich the child remained meaningless for the history of the Brandenburg region, his inclusion in Siegesallee was very controversial in the historical planning commission under Reinhold Koser . The model was the French cellist Paul Bazelaire (→ For details on the design of the statue: Section on group 9 in the article August Kraus ).
Johann von Buch the Younger, a lawyer, was one of Ludwig's entourage. (For the father Johann von Buch see group 7 )
Secondary figure on the right:
Johann II (before 1320–1357), burgrave of Nuremberg , governor of Ludwig I for a short time in 1345 (the "actually first" Hohenzoller in the march). Holds in his right arm with a brackish main decorated helmet ( Bracke is a "strong fishing dog symbol hunting justice. Brackish main Hohenzollern on the crest has been bought from the 1317 family" )
The statue of Ludwig and the bust of Johann von Buch lost, probably destroyed in the war. Only the torso of the Nuremberg burgrave (head missing) has been preserved and has been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009.
Emil Graf von Schlitz called Görtz . Von Görtz and his family were on friendly terms with the emperor, otherwise he hardly appeared in sculptural terms. The author Uta Lehnert sums up her impression of the group: "Obviously, Graf Görtz was not up to the compositional demands."
Date of unveiling:
November 14, 1900
Location and condition of the figures:
All figures lost, probably destroyed in World War II
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg (also Duke of Upper Bavaria)
Reign:
1365-1373
Princely family:
Wittelsbacher - the last Wittelsbacher in the Mark Brandenburg
Secondary figure on the left:
Thilo von Bruges , patrician from Berlin , mint master of Berlin, owner of the city court, governor of six Brandenburg cities. The bust shows him with a chain of office. The head of the dragon in the coat of arms indicates the Rhenish origin of his family.
Secondary figure on the right:
Thilo von Wardenberg (Tiele Wardenberg) , Tile Wardenberg , mayor (possibly only councilor) of Berlin, symbolic figure of the resistance against Charles IV. Base inscription: Thilo von Wardenberg, Oldermann von Berlin .
All three (with slight contour damage) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009
Annotation:
The group was one of the few who enjoyed high artistic esteem both among clients and representatives of the “modern”. The emperor was particularly impressed by the brilliantly stubborn nonchalance . However, the Wittelsbacher depicted “in a rather lax posture and with drooping eyelids, briefly with a stupid face” attracted contemporary critics of Siegesallee to snappy caricatures, see Siegesallee, Otto the Lazy .
The title of Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg actually belonged to his underage son Wenzel von Luxemburg (1361–1419), but Charles IV carried out the business of government for him. Wenzel was not mentioned anywhere on Siegesallee.
Sigismund of Luxembourg (February 15, 1368 - December 9, 1437); Inscription on the base: Emperor Sigmund
Title, position:
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg (also including Roman-German Emperor 1433–1437)
Reign:
1378–1397, 1411–1415 (The gap between 1397 and 1411 that Jobst von Moravia filled was not closed in the depictions of Siegesallee; Koser's proposal from 1895 to install a double group with Sigmund and Jobst was not made for unknown reasons realized.)
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Individual parts of the main character canceled; The heads of both minor characters broken off, reassigned in 1984.
Wend von Ileburg ( noble family Eulenburg ) († after 1370), governor, hardly relevant for the history of the Brandenburg region. According to Lehnert, decision of reverence in favor of the noble Eulenburg family, who are close to the emperor. At the request of Wilhelm II, the figure was given the face of his friend and confidante, Prince Philipp zu Eulenburg . Originally, Caspar Gans zu Putlitz was planned, even if he had fought the Hohenzollern at Kremmer Damm together with the Quitzows .
Relief:
As a special feature of this group, a relief was set in the bank between the two busts , which showed the Electress Elisabeth in prayer. That was the only representation of a woman in the entire Siegesallee, which even Reinhold Koser regretted.
All three figures in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. The right hand is missing from both busts. The relief of the Electress Elisabeth has not survived.
Copies:
Bronze cast of the main character (from 1912) as a memorial on the castle complex in Tangermünde . Bronze cast of the secondary figure Wend von Ileburg was erected after 1900 as a gift from Wilhelm II to Philipp zu Eulenburg, initially in the park and in 1906 in the Liebenberg castle courtyard . Cast lost after 1945.
Friedrich II. (The iron, the iron tooth)
Friedrich II., The Iron, the Iron Tooth (Group 16)
Frederick II (born November 19, 1413; † February 10, 1471); depicted as the conqueror of the urban resistance; the certificate in his fist symbolizes the submission of the twin cities of Berlin- Cölln to Berlin's indignation ; the battle ax, the arrows and the torn documents on the ground are also intended to point to the power of the Brandenburg cities broken by the iron tooth ( "historically disguised warning" Wilhelm II to the current city fathers around 1900).
Wilke Blankenfelde (around 1400-1474), mayor of Berlin, although one of the "[...] against Frederick II revolt. Patrician [...], but later used as a reformed subject back into office and dignity and thus monument worthy of [...]." Keeps in his right hand the re-awarded official seal .
Main figure and bust of Blankenfelde (both in good condition with individual missing parts) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009; Bust of an armchair man for a long time in the citadel, powder room, bastion König (mitras tips broken off)
Design note:
The physiognomy of Friedrich II. Took Calandrelli of the monument to Frederick I, he in 1894 for the city of Friesack had created. He invoked the family resemblance of father and son. On the broad ermine collar of the elector's cloak, the figure of Friedrich wears the chain of the swan order . (→ For details on the statue: Section Monument to Friedrich II ; to the right bust section Monument to Wilhelm von Blankenfelde )
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg; also as Albrecht I Margrave of Ansbach and Kulmbach
Reign:
1470–1486 (since Achilles was primarily involved in imperial politics, he had already transferred the reign of the Mark to his son and successor Johann in 1473 )
Princely family:
Hohenzollern (the last Hohenzoller who ruled over the Mark Brandenburg and the Franconian lands in personal union). Albrecht III. In 1473 Achilles of Brandenburg documented the indivisibility of the Kurmark Brandenburg in the Dispositio Achillea , the house law of the Hohenzollerns .
The elaborate, Gothic style design of the bank and the architectural parts fell out of the ordinary . The seat backrest ran through a perforated fish bladder ornament , "the had applied the coat of arms of Zollern, Nuremberg, Brandenburg and Pomerania." The bank center adorned the coat of arms with the electoral scepter. The obligatory imperial crown rested on a pillow on either side of the end of the bench. "On the base of the main character, filigree pointed arches, a frieze of stylized roses and thistles and the Brandenburg coat of arms adorned by the Hohenzollern bracken helmet should evoke associations with Albrecht's time."
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. All with damage, the main character's face destroyed.
Design note:
Lessing based the design of the statue heavily on Albrecht's donor image from the Swan Order Altar in Gumpert's Church ; Furthermore, he underlined Albrecht's knighthood in the Order of the Swans with an order chain that Albrecht wears around his neck.
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Main character in good condition. Bust of Albrecht broken, part of the face flaked off; the head is missing from the Bülow bust.
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg. The inheritance-related temporary division of the Mark between Hector and his younger brother Johann the Wise (also Hans von Küstrin ), who received the Neumark as the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin , was not discussed in Siegesallee; Johann was not mentioned.
Harro Magnussen . The monument is the last in the row of the Siegesallee, which shows the main character with armor . In the presentation of Hector Armor Magnussen transferred exactly the details of the ornate ceremonial armor Joachim II., In the armory was issued.
Date of unveiling:
22nd December 1900
Location and condition of the figures:
Main figure and bust of Georg the Pious since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel (both without a head and with further damage); Bust of Jagow and medallion of Luther lost.
Copies:
Bust of Matthias von Jagow in colored marble in the Brandenburg Cathedral Museum
Annotation:
The central theme of the group was the introduction of the Reformation in 1539 by Hector. In addition to the selection of the accompanying figures and the medallion, the historical commission and Magnussen underlined the topic with a lavishly decorated inscription cartouche on the monument base, in which, among other things, a communion chalice and a host were depicted.
Johann Georg (born September 11, 1525, † January 18, 1598). Nicknamed Oeconomicus , as he and Chancellor Distelmeyer (secondary figure on the right) tried to reduce the Mark's overindebtedness with a rigorous austerity policy.
Main character since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel. Busts have been in the citadel for a long time. Count Rochus at the stairs to the commandant's house, Distelmeyer in the citadel tavern. All three figures with various damages and missing parts.
Design note:
According to Uta Lehnert, the ensemble shows “a wealth of detail that is suitable for telling history in pictures without words.” For some of these details → memorial sections in the articles on Johann Georg , Lynar and Distelmeyer .
Main character and lost by Loeben, probably destroyed in World War II. Count Hieronymus: Torso since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel; Head owned by the heirs of the theater critic Friedrich Luft .
Design note:
The renaissance- style house model, on which the elector casually leans, refers to the establishment of the Joachimsthal Gymnasium in 1607. The sailing ship depicted on the pedestal below the gymnasium reminds of the construction of the Finow Canal that he had initiated . Together with the inscription “Preserve the prosperity of peace through the law's firm bond” , these accessories are intended to honor Joachim Friedrich as Prince of Peace.
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg; Duke and Co-Regent in Prussia.
Reign:
1608-1619
Princely family:
Hohenzollern
Secondary figure on the left:
Count Fabian von Dohna (1550–1621), Oberburggraf ; Nickname Fabian with the Schmarre (because of a head wound that he sustained in a campaign to defend the Huguenots in 1587, shown in the figure as a scar on his forehead).
Secondary figure on the right:
Thomas von dem Knesebeck (1559-1625), Privy Councilor and Governor , tried to find a balance between Lutherans and Calvinists . The finely drawn scholarly head of the bust characterizes him as a council member and founder of the Hohenzollern religious tolerance policy.
Main character (significant war damage, chipped face) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Both busts are missing.
Design note:
The main character, depicted with a calm, serious face and a steadfast posture, emphasizes Johann Sigismund's steadfast stance in matters of faith. The plump figure in Spanish-Dutch costume with wide harem pants characterized the contemporary criticism as a " Falstaff figure ".
Main character (right arm missing, drum missing, further significant damage) and bust of Count Adam (without nose, severe contour damage) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. The bust of Konrad von Burgsdorff, long believed lost, reappeared in 2011.
Design note:
Since the hesitant and indecisive elector was unable to cope with the turmoil of the times and the Thirty Years' War and had withdrawn to Koenigsberg while continuing to keep court , the sculptor chose a decorative, luxuriously decorated costume figure instead of a sublime monumental figure. Ornamental equipment with mythical animals and foliage in the inscription cartouche, pilaster-like bench cheeks and two lion figures under the bench (symbol for the dormant strength of Brandenburg) underlined the painterly depiction, which corresponded to the special talent of the sculptor (→ Siegesallee section near Uechtritz-Steinkirch ). The enfeoffment of Brandenburg with Prussia in Georg Wilhelm's reign was not discussed.
Friedrich Wilhelm (the Great Elector)
Friedrich Wilhelm I, the Great Elector (Group 25)
Group 25, 1901
Image montage of the group, 1900 (busts shown reversed)
Schaper's first model depicting the Great Elector as a general was rejected by Wilhelm II. The realized version shows him as a prince of peace in court costume and founder of the state. "The promising saplings on the mighty oak stump" , on which the figure is based, "were intended as a reference to the future political importance of Prussia for the German Empire."
Friedrich I. (Prussia), Friedrich III. (Brandenburg)
Friedrich I. (Prussia), Friedrich III. (Brandenburg) (Group 26)
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg and Duke in Prussia as Friedrich III. until 1701, then as King in Prussia Friedrich I.
Reign:
1688–1713 as margrave and elector of Brandenburg and in Prussia until 1701 as duke, then until 1713 as king in the entire state
Princely family:
Hohenzollern
Secondary figure on the left:
Andreas Schlüter (1664–1714), sculptor, court building director and among other things master builder of the Berlin City Palace (conversion to a baroque complex)
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Contour damage and broken parts on the main character; Busts with slight damage.
As an example, this monument group was unveiled for the permanent exhibition that opened in 2016 . Berlin and its monuments are the only group to be reproduced in their overall architecture. The historical ornamentation such as the acanthus frieze in the back of the bench or the eagles in the bench cheeks was not reconstructed .
Design note:
The first Prussian king is depicted with an eagle-crowned scepter , the pommel of a king's sword and an allonge wig adorned with a laurel wreath in the pose of the sun king Louis XIV . With this pose, a wide coat and a richly embroidered skirt, Eberlein covered Friedrich's physical handicap (Schiefer Fritz) . Schlüter wears a simple sculptor's smock and examines the mask of a dying warrior, marked by pain. Danckelman is holding a certificate and is presented as a far-sighted, determined statesman.
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Parts of the main character are missing, the right forearm is attached to the upper arm with an iron clamp. Noses are missing from both busts. The bust of Minister von Ilgen was in the park of Britz Castle , which Ilgen had bought in 1719, between 1954 and 1988 . A copy of the bust has been there since 1988.
Frederick II (the great)
Frederick II, the Great , the Old Fritz (Group 28)
Margrave and Elector of Brandenburg, King of Prussia
Reign:
1740-1786
Princely family:
Hohenzollern
Secondary figure on the left:
Count Kurt Christoph von Schwerin (1684–1757), Field Marshal General ( Celebrated as a hero of Mollwitz and Prague , should embody the military spirit that was faithful to death.)
Secondary figure on the right:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), composer (Had auditioned for the king in 1747 and was supposed to relate to Friedrich's passion for music and playing the flute. Originally, Kant was intended to honor Friedrich as an enlightener and philosopher of Sanssouci ; Kant then joined the next group .)
Main figure (right arm with stick missing), its base (well preserved) and bust of Graf von Schwerin (right arm partially destroyed) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. Bust of Bach lost.
Design note:
At the request of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was particularly interested in the statue and who persistently modeled the figure for the costumes and physiognomy (Frederick the Great never had himself portrayed), Uphues Friedrich the Great presented "in the splendor of his young fame" even before the Seven Years War . The interpretation of the young Friedrich for the first time deviated from the traditional cemetery type of the "Old Fritz" as in the equestrian statue .
Architecture:
Only in the architecture of this group were elements of the zeitgeist, the Rococo , used. With the advice of the architect Hermann A. Kruse, Uphues designed the steps of the pedestal with the curved line of the Rococo and executed the name cartouches in the shape of a rocaille .
Friedrich Wilhelm II. (The fat Lüderjahn)
Friedrich Wilhelm II., The Fat Lüderjahn (Group 29)
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), philosopher (very controversial. Originally, Schadow was envisaged, who was then only accepted into the next group with a relief portrait. Koser justified the decision in favor of Kant with his work at the Prussian University of Königsberg and with Kant's ethics of duty , which he interpreted as a consequence of a practical example given by the Prussian kings. Had the assignment of Kant to the opening act, as originally intended, been comprehensible (if one followed Koser's interpretation), the assignment to the fanatic and occultist tendency would not necessarily have been assigned to duty fat Wilhelm to great incomprehension.)
All three have been in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009. The heads of all three figures are missing.
Design note:
Brütt succeeded in portraying Friedrich Wilhelm II as the easygoing connoisseur he was without depriving the figure of the indispensable royal dignity. The elegant general uniform of the time, the sword and the ribbon of the black eagle emphasize the dignity, while the casual posture, the walking stick, the soft hand with bulging fingers and the spongy face convey "the impression of fullness - and decadence" .
On the bench between the assistant figures, a relief portrait by the sculptor Johann Gottfried Schadow (1764–1850), founder of the Berlin School of Sculpture . Schadow was originally intended as a secondary bust for the opening act.
Main character (right hand and stick missing) in the Spandau Citadel since May 2009; Bust of Freiherr vom Stein from 1975–2014 on Reformationsplatz Spandau and is a listed building, today also part of the collection in the citadel; Bust of Blücher lost; Schadow relief not preserved.
Design note:
At the request of Wilhelm II, Eberlein did not show the king as the unhappy old man, whose politics were rather poorly remembered, but in the slender officer form as the young king in the more private sphere, who enjoys the Biedermeier , almost bourgeois family life at Paretz Castle had withdrawn. The politico-military dimension of his reign was represented by the secondary busts. The owl sitting on a pile of books next to the bust from and to the stone symbolizes the statesmanlike cleverness of the minister, who is seen as a thinker.
Even the politically rather unsuccessful and later marked by several strokes, Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Was, at the request of Wilhelm II. Depicted at the age of around 46, the memorial shows a determined king, filled with romantic ideals, at the time of his establishment of the peace class of the order “Pour le Mérite” . The artistic and scientific side of the monarch was additionally emphasized by the choice of significant secondary characters, both of whom were the bearers of the “Pour le Mérite”. The idealized figure met with unreserved applause from the emperor because, as he put it, Begas " portrayed the poor gentleman in his youthful manhood, whom the general public only knows as a fat, old man with a peaked cap" .
Wilhelm I. (German Emperor)
Wilhelm I. (Group 32)
Group 32, 1901
First draft by Begas, 1899, failed for
the grandson and client Wilhelm II
The sculptors decorated the back of the bench with a frieze of cornflowers and ears of wheat, Wilhelm I's favorite plants.
Sculptor:
Reinhold Begas (?) (Also creator of group 8 ) - the secondary characters probably actually come from Begas, while the main monument was very likely designed and executed by Begas master student August Kraus , who had already modeled group 9 with Heinrich the child . The first model of Wilhelm I von Begas had failed Wilhelm II, the grandson of the first German emperor. "In conjunction with the pimples helmet model made [...] too soldierly impression, that is, it did not bring the rulers would be properly reflected." Kraus, who always put between their own work to the Master his work freely available, then very likely running the central statue in Bega's workshop, "the authorship claimed, however, only later to [...]." (→ detail the design of the monument group: group section 32 in the article August Kraus )
Date of unveiling:
March 30, 1901 (the first draft dates from 1899)
Location and condition of the figures:
Main character (severe damage to the face) since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel; Minor characters lost.
Two complementary groups at the Brandenburg Gate
In addition, in 1903 statues of Emperor Friedrich III. and Empress Friedrich placed on the semicircular square in front of the Brandenburg Gate . The overall designs for the facility come from Oberhof building officer Ernst von Ihne , the architectural and decorative equipment from August Vogel and Wilhelm Widemann . The stone sculptor Fritz Tübbecke took on the marble finish . Unveiling of both groups, often referred to as Groups 33 and 34 of Siegesallee, on October 18, 1903. Uta Lehnert contradicts the assignment of the groups to Siegesallee: “The monuments of Wilhelm II's parents were in a certain ideal context to Siegesallee, in In the narrower sense, however, their various claims (as groups 33 and 34) must be denied. ” For example, it would have been inconceivable that Wilhelm II would have erected a memorial to his mother, who died in 1901, in Siegesallee.
October 18, 1903 (72nd birthday of Emperor Friedrich III)
Location and condition of the figures:
The bust of Blumenthal with contour damage has been preserved, since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel. The whereabouts of the bust of Helmholtz and the central statue are unknown, very likely destroyed in the war.
October 18, 1903 (72nd birthday of Emperor Friedrich III)
Location and condition of the figures:
The bust of Hofmann with contour damage has been preserved, since May 2009 in the Spandau Citadel. The whereabouts of the Zeller bust and the central statue are unknown, very likely destroyed in the war.
Tucholsky poem: Break
After the November Revolution , in which the soldiers' council Hans Paasche had suggested that Siegesallee be demolished, Kurt Tucholsky asked in December 1918 under his pseudonym Theobald Tiger in the magazine Ulk in the poem Bruch :
But what will happen to Siegsallee now?
Will you go
to the New Lake because it is too royalist,
too autocratic and too monarchist ?
Do you leave the stature of every monument?
and just put new heads on their necks?
Well, let's say that of Lüders Else
and Brutus Molkenbuhr ?
Do you wake up the beautiful, white marble?
Years ago, back then,
when I was taking my exams, I knew how everyone came in sequence ...
Should that have been in vain?
And she is beautiful! - Let's go by
and smile - because we know all about it.
I think we'll let the dolls stand still
as documents of a great time.
Helmut Caspar (Ed.): The legs of the Hohenzollern, interpreted using still images of Siegesallee in Primaner essays from 1901, provided with marginal notes by His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II. , Berlin Edition, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-8148-0086-9 , 128 S.
Uta Lehnert: The Kaiser and the Siegesallee. Réclame Royale , Dietrich Reimer Verlag, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-496-01189-0 .
Winfried Schich: The medieval Berlin (1237-1411) . In: Wolfgang Ribbe (Ed.), Publication of the Historical Commission in Berlin: History of Berlin . 1. Volume, Verlag CH Beck, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-406-31591-7 .
Cornelius Steckner : The thrift of the elderly. Cultural and technological change between 1871 and 1914 in its effect on the design of the sculptor Adolf Brütt. Verlag Peter D. Lang, Frankfurt am Main and Bern 1981, ISBN 3-8204-6897-8 , pp. 47-52.
Cornelius Steckner: The sculptor Adolf Brütt - Schleswig-Holstein • Berlin • Weimar. Verlag Boyens & Co., Heide 1989 especially pp. 182–193, ISBN 3-8042-0479-1 (Writings of the Schleswig-Holstein State Library, Ed. Dieter Lohmeier, Vol. 9)
↑ a b Group No. 33 = supplementary order from Kaiser Wilhelm II of October 3, 1900 to Adolf Brütt; Unveiling October 18, 1903 - Group No. 34 Empress Friedrich; see. Steckner, 1989, pp. 182-193.
↑ The dates of the revelation are based on the information in: Uta Lehnert: Der Kaiser und die Siegesallee. Réclame Royale . ...; The list in: Helmut Caspar (Ed.): Die legs der Hohenzollern… , p. 124ff contains different information in individual cases.
↑ The information about the whereabouts and the condition of the figures are also largely taken from Uta Lehnert's work: Der Kaiser und die Siegesallee. Réclame Royale . ...
^ Gustav Albrecht, Margrave Albrecht II. , In: Hie gut Brandenburg alleweg! Historical and cultural images from the past of the Mark and from old Berlin up to the death of the Great Elector. (Ed. Richard George) Verlag von W. Pauli's Nachf., Berlin 1900, p. 88
↑ Winfried Schich: The medieval Berlin ... , pp. 175, 181
↑ We cannot verify the multiple ascription "mayor" made by Lehnert; the standard works on Berlin history (Ribbe ... in 2 volumes; Stadtoberhäupter ...; Edition Luisenstadt ...) do not contain this information, but only speak of "councilor"
^ Martina Weinland: The Märkisches Museum . Ed .: Paul Spies. ISBN 978-3-939254-03-4 , pp.47 .
↑ The relevant literature on Siegesallee contains the information 1324 (instead of 1323), which is based on the corresponding inscription on the base. This information is based on an error by Reinhold Koser , the historical director of Siegesallee. See Uta Lehnert: Der Kaiser und die… , p. 64, note 6
↑ Uta Lehnert: Der Kaiser und die… , p. 238, note 55
^ Theobald Tiger (= Kurt Tucholsky ): Bruch (poem). In: Josh . No. 50, December 13, 1918. The corruption of Siegesallee to win Allee took Tucholsky may consciously before, in any case, victory avenue in joke-Originaltext: break ( Memento of 29 July 2012 in the Web archive archive.today ). Since this is a poem, there is also the possibility that Tucholsky left out the "e" for metrical and rhythmic reasons. The New Lake mentioned by Tucholsky is located in the Great Zoo .