Wettin Obelisk (Dresden)
The Wettin Obelisk was an obelisk-like memorial to the jubilee celebration of the 800-year rule of the House of Wettin over Saxony . It was on Sophienstrasse at the corner of Taschenberg , in the inner old town of Dresden , not far from the main guard station . It stood between the southwest wing of the palace , the Zwinger and the Taschenbergpalais on a triangular traffic island with intricately decorated pavement.
prehistory
For the anniversary celebration of the Saxon royal family 800 years of Wettin in 1889, the famous Dresden architects Rudolf Schilling & Julius Graebner received the order to design two obelisks for the celebrations on Schloßplatz . The Dresden sculptor Johannes Schilling , father of Rudolf Schilling, designed these two obelisks based on the drafts and also decorated them with figures. On the inside of the obelisks were the allegorical colossal drapery figures past and present . A parade with pictures from the 800-year history of the House of Wettin passed the grandstands and the obelisk on the Schlossplatz. After the celebration, the obelisks were dismantled. For the jubilee, collections were carried out in advance throughout the state of Saxony . After the celebrations, a surplus of 33,750 marks remained, which was transferred to the city of Dresden . The City Council of Dresden then decided in a council meeting to erect an obelisk as a permanent reminder of the 800th anniversary. The city council found the triangular traffic island between the southwest wing of the Residenzschloss and the Taschenbergpalais to be a suitable place. With the location one wanted to emphasize the devotion, gratitude and also the popularity of the ruling couple King Albert and Queen Carola .
The obelisk
In the years 1895 to 1896, the Wettin Obelisk was built in the studio of Johannes Schilling, based on a design by the architects Schilling & Graebner. The obelisk was built on a relatively low plinth made of deep black syenite . The substructure was manufactured by the granite company Rietscher in Häslich near Bischheim . Facing the Taschenbergpalais and the castle, the oversized allegorical figures, past and present , rested . Because of their radiant grace and beauty , both were cast in bronze in Lauchhammer . The column top made of copper plates was made by the Braunschweig company Howald Nachsteiger (owner Ringleben). The sculptural jewelry was designed by the Dresden sculptor Clemens Grundig . The Dresden sculptor Reinhard König created the artistic weapon trophy jewelry. The art elements in the ancient Egyptian style with the symbols of power as well as the Wettin house coat of arms and a board with a foundation inscription were designed by Professor Johannes Schilling.
The two bronze figures were 3 meters high, the entire obelisk was 18.50 meters high. The total cost was around 114,600 marks. The city council added 20,000 to the city's surplus of DM 33,750. The Dr. Güntz Foundation donated the remaining amount of 60,850 marks . In 1896, on April 23rd, the inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of King Albert and the entire royal family. With military music and speeches, the ceremony in front of hundreds of Dresden citizens turned out to be a highlight. The new work of art could be found in all well-known travel guides.
But after only 44 years the end of the monument should come. The year 1942 sealed the end of the obelisk as part of the metal donation campaign by the German people to the Führer . While the preservation options were used in other earlier monarchies in Germany, including Bavaria and Prussia , the monument level intended for permanent preservation was not used. Because the Wettins, not joining the formations and elites of the Third Reich, were considered to be resistance. In 1942 the Wehrmacht commandant quarters in the Taschenbergpalais.
Cannon Monument
After the obelisk was dismantled in 1942, the base was used for propaganda purposes by placing a 155mm French loot cannon from the First World War on it. In the meantime, the military ruled the small square on Taschenberg. The cannon acted like a beacon between the historic buildings of the castle, Zwinger and Taschenbergpalais. The worst air raids on Dresden took place on February 13, 1945 . All surrounding buildings burned down to the surrounding walls and were destroyed. The asphalt road showed deeply indented footprints. In the city center in particular, the so-called firestorm developed with temperatures between 1400 and 1600 degrees Celsius . The pedestal with the cannon, however, survived all attacks and continued to symbolize the humiliation of art by the military.
After the war, Dresden was in ruins, the reconstruction of the city began. In accordance with the resolutions of the new communist city council, all memorials and memorials that looked Nazi and military had to be removed. At a major anti-military event on the Theaterplatz on May 3, 1946, young FDJers rolled the French booty cannon from the pedestal and across the Theaterplatz to the stairs at the Italian village on the terrace bank in the Elbe . Since this action, this military museum piece has been lost and cannot be found again. In the 1960s, the granite base was dismantled and stored in the city's lapidarium . Although the residential palace and the Taschenbergpalais were also rebuilt after the political change in the GDR, there are no efforts to restore the obelisk. Only the small square on Taschenberg reminds of the monument with its decorative paving.
literature
- Dieter Miedtank, Rolf Rehe, Manfred Beyer: Disappeared monuments - Destroyed - Forgotten (= military writings of the Saxon Military History Working Group, Issue 7). Dresden 2005, ISBN 978-3-9809520-1-9 , pp. 25 ff. And 43.
- Meinhold travel guide Dresden 1920, issue 2 from 1920.
- Bärbel Stephan: Saxon Sculpture Johannes Schilling 1828–1910. Verlag für Bauwesen, Berlin, ISBN 3-345-00494-1 , pp. 117 and 237.
- Fritz Löffler : The old Dresden: history of its buildings. ISBN 3-86502-000-3 , p. 477.
- Joseph Kürschner: King Albert and Sachsenland: a commemorative publication. Reinhold Schwarz publishing house, Berlin 1906.
- Hedgehog Tour Dresden (Ed.): Dresden. New walks through history. 1st edition. Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2011, ISBN 978-3-86680-782-2 , p. 30.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Joseph Kürschner: King Albert and Sachsenland: a Festschrift.
- ↑ a b c Bärbel Stephan: Saxon Sculpture Johannes Schilling 1828–1910.
- ↑ a b c Dieter Miedtank, Rolf Rehe, Manfred Beyer: Disappeared monuments - Destroyed - Forgotten (= military writings of the Saxon Military History Working Group, issue 7). Dresden 2005, ISBN 978-3-9809520-1-9 , pp. 25 ff. And 43.
Coordinates: 51 ° 3 '8.7 " N , 13 ° 44' 7.8" E