The Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great on

Unter den Linden Unter den Linden (, "under the linden trees") is a boulevard in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Running from the City Palace to Brandenburg Gate, it is named after the linden (lime in England and Ireland, not re ...

avenue in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

's Mitte district commemorates King Frederick II. of Prussia. Created from 1839 to 1851 by

Christian Daniel Rauch Christian Daniel Rauch (2 January 1777 – 3 December 1857) was a German sculptor. He founded the Berlin school of sculpture, and was the foremost German sculptor of the 19th century. Life Rauch was born at Arolsen in the Principality of ...

, it is a masterpiece of the Berlin school of sculpture, marking the transition from

neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

. The bronze statue shows "The Old Fritz" dressed in military uniform, ermine coat and

tricorne The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat that was popular during the 18th century, falling out of style by 1800, though actually not called a "tricorne" until the mid-19th century. During the 18th century, hats of this general style were referr ...

hat on horseback above the leading generals, statesmen, artists and scientist of his time. Walled in during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was disassembled by

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

in 1950, reassembled in

Sanssouci Park Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany, built under Frederick the Great in the mid-1700s. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the stru ...

in 1963, and returned to its original location in 1980.

History

Prussian King

Frederick William III Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...

commissioned the monument from sculptor

in 1839. It was cast beginning in 1845 by Karl Ludwig Friebel, whom Rauch brought from

Lauchhammer Lauchhammer ( dsb, Łuchow) is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on the Black Elster river, approx. 17 km west of Senftenberg, and 50 km north of Dresden. History From 1815 to ...

for the purpose; changes to the figures on the base extended work to six years, and the monument was unveiled on 31 May 1851. It is one of Rauch's best known works, and influenced other monuments erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The equestrian statue influenced many other monuments and is a registered monument of the City of Berlin. Beneath the

equestrian statue An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin ''eques'', meaning 'knight', deriving from ''equus'', meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a d ...

itself, the unusually large

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...

includes reliefs of the four

cardinal virtues The cardinal virtues are four virtues of mind and character in both classical philosophy and Christian theology. They are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They form a virtue theory of ethics. The term ''cardinal'' comes from the ...

and important scenes from Frederick's life, and depictions, many in full relief, of 74 notable men from his reign; bronze

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I * Pla ...

s beneath the bands of sculpture list military men, philosophers, mathematicians, poets, statesmen, engineers, and others important in Prussia's emergence as a

great power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power inf ...

in the mid-18th century. During World War II, the monument was encased in concrete for protection. In May 1950, the East German ''Magistrat'' decided to remove it to the park at the palace of

Sanssouci Sanssouci () is a historical building in Potsdam, near Berlin. Built by Prussian King Frederick the Great as his summer palace, it is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and ...

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

. Metal thieves damaged it after the protective casing was removed, and it was dismantled and taken away between 13 and 19 July. After being stored in pieces and at one point almost melted down,Rudolf Hempel
"Der Ritt in die falsche Richtung"
interview with Hans Bentzien, ''

Neues Deutschland ''Neues Deutschland'' (''nd''; en, New Germany, sometimes stylized in lowercase letters) is a left-wing German daily newspaper, headquartered in Berlin. For 43 years it was the official party newspaper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany ...

'', 22 November 1997 (subscription required). by 1962 the monument had been re-erected in the hippodrome at

Charlottenhof Palace Charlottenhof Palace or Charlottenhof Manor (german: Schloss Charlottenhof) is a former royal palace located southwest of Sanssouci Palace in Sanssouci Park at Potsdam, Germany. It is best known as the summer residence of Crown Prince Frederick ...

. In the 1980s, the East German government changed its

politics of memory Politics of memory is the organisation of collective memory by political agents; the political means by which events are remembered and recorded, or discarded. Eventually, politics of memory may determine the way history is written and passed on, he ...

and especially its position on the

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n heritage. In 1980

Erich Honecker Erich Ernst Paul Honecker (; 25 August 1912 – 29 May 1994) was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1971 until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. He held the posts ...

called Frederick "the Great" in an interview with

Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, member of parliament (MP), suspected spy, and fraudster. Early in his life, Maxwell escaped from N ...

; in the same year, the historian published a relatively positive biography of the king. The statue was restored and returned to Unter den Linden, approximately east of its old position. West Germany saw a similar return of a more positive view on Prussia with the Berlin exhibition ''Preußen – Versuch einer Bilanz'' (Prussia, an attempt at a complete picture). The preparations to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin in 1987 led to further reconsideration of the Prussian heritage; that year

Gisela May Gisela May (31 May 1924 – 2 December 2016) was a German actress and singer. Early life May was born in Wetzlar, Germany. Both her mother, Kate May, and her father, Ferdinand May, were writers. She studied at the drama school in Leipzig from 19 ...

performed a song celebrating the statue's return. After German reunification, the

Senate of Berlin The Senate of Berlin (german: Berliner Senat) is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a States of Germany, state of Germany. According to the the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to t ...

had the monument scientifically restored, and it was replaced in its original position, with the wrought-iron fence and 19th-century lamp posts recreated. After having paint thrown at it during a protest against the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

, it was restored once more in 2006 and given a coating of wax to protect against

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

. Unter den Linden Friedrich II 1851.jpg, Unveiling of the memorial, 1851 Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P016012, Berlin, Denkmal, Preußische Staatsbibliothek.jpg, Looking towards the

Brandenburg Gate The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...

, 1930s Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-P015292, Berlin, Unter den Linden, Friedrich-Denkmal.jpg, Looking towards the

Berlin Palace The Berlin Palace (german: Berliner Schloss), formally the Royal Palace (german: Königliches Schloss), on the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin, was the main residence of the House of Hohenzollern from 1443 to 1918. Expanded by order of ...

, 1920s 1-N-1 - Abbruch Mauer (0BL).jpg, Removal of the casing, 1950 1-N-1 - Berlin-Mitte (0BL) 4, Aufstellung in Potsdam.jpg, In the hippodrome at

in Potsdam, c. 1963 Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W1127-030, Berlin, Denkmal Friedrich II..jpg, Return to the original location, 1980

Description and location

The monument is tall, with the equestrian statue itself standing high. It depicts Frederick in military uniform and an ermine-trimmed cloak, wearing his decorations, and with his characteristic

bicorne The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which ...

hat; he holds the reins in his left hand and in his right has a walking stick. The statue is mounted on an unusually tall plinth, high, bearing two bands of additional sculpture above a band of inscriptions: the upper section shows scenes from the king's life, with the four

at the corners, while the middle depicts 74 great men of Frederick the Great's time in life size, many in full relief."Denkmal König Friedrich II. von Preußen"
, Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, Berlin, revised 10 April 2014 The statue stands at the east end of Unter den Linden, facing east at the west end of the former

Forum Fridericianum The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thoroughfa ...

(now

Bebelplatz The Bebelplatz (formerly and colloquially the Opernplatz) is a public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The square is located on the south side of the Unter den Linden boulevard, a major east-west thoroughfa ...

) towards the site of the

royal palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

.Hartwig Schmidt, "Architecture and Urban Planning 1850–1914", ''Berlin/New York: Like and Unlike: Essays on Architecture and Art from 1870 to the Present'', ed.

Josef Paul Kleihues Josef Paul Kleihues (11 June 1933, Rheine – 13 August 2004, Berlin) was a German architect, most notable for his decades long contributions to the "critical reconstruction" of Berlin. His design approach has been described as "poetic rationalist" ...

and Christina Rathgeber, New York: Rizzoli, 1993, , pp. 128–44, p. 130. It is enclosed by a low wrought-iron fence, which was recreated when the monument was restored and replaced in its original position.

Upper band

The upper sculpted band, immediately below the statue of the king, shows in

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

scenes from his life and is garnished at the corners with emblems of the four

in full relief.''Denkmal König Friedrichs des Großen: Enthüllt am 31. Mai 1851
', Berlin: Verlag der Deckerschen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdruckerei, 1851, repr. Leipzig, 1987 . Image:Moderation Frederick the Great Equestrian Statue.jpg,

Moderation Moderation is the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted. Common uses of moderation include: *Ensuring consistency and accuracy in the marking of stud ...

Image:Justice Frederick the Great Equestrian Statue.jpg,

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

Image:Tapferkeit Frederick the Great Equestrian Statue.jpg,

Courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...

Image:Weisheit Frederick the Great Equestrian Statue.jpg,

Prudence Prudence ( la, prudentia, Contraction (grammar), contracted from meaning "seeing ahead, sagacity") is the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. It is classically considered to be a virtue, and in particular one of th ...

Middle band

The middle band depicts 74 men of Frederick the Great's time in life-size; some, such as the figure of his brother

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

, are free-standing; others are depicted in

high relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

. A few, including James Keith, are in bas-relief. As with the upper band, four figures in full relief stand at the corners, this time on horseback: Frederick's brother, Prince Henry of Prussia;

Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Charles William Ferdinand (german: Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand; 9 October 1735 – 10 November 1806) was the Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and a military leader. His titles are usually shortened to Duke of Brunswic ...

;

Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz (3 February 1721 – 8 November 1773) was a Prussian officer, lieutenant general, and among the greatest of the Prussian cavalry generals. He commanded one of the first Hussar squadrons ...

; and

Hans Joachim von Zieten Hans Joachim von Zieten, sometimes spelled Johann Joachim von Ziethen, (14 May 1699 – 26 January 1786), also known as ''Zieten aus dem Busch'', was a cavalry general in the Prussian Army. He served in four wars and was instrumental in s ...

. Image:Reiterstandbild - Friedrich der Große - Südansicht ( Details - Mitte 7 ).jpg, Prince Henry of Prussia, (1726–1802). Prince of Prussia. Frederick's brother.Ernst Graf zur Lippe-Weißenfeld
"Heinrich (Prinz von Preußen)"
''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'', Volume 11 (1880), pp. 561–68 . Image:Reiterstandbild - Friedrich der Große - Nordansicht ( Details - Mitte 1 ).jpg, Field Marshal Ferdinand, Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1721–1792).Paul Zimmerman
"Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand"
''

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, german: Universal German Biography) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Aca ...

'', Volume 15 (1882), pp. 272–81 . Image:Reiterstandbild - Friedrich der Große - Nordansicht ( Details - Mitte 7 ).jpg, Lieutenant General and Inspector of Cavalry

, (1721–1783). Image:Reiterstandbild - Friedrich der Große - Südansicht ( Details - Mitte 1 ).jpg, Lieutenant General and General of Cavalry

, ''Zieten aus dem Busch'' (1699–1786). Between the mounted figures stand 25 of the key men of Frederick's career. Some of them are full-sized free-standing figures and several are carved in partial relief. The figures represented are predominantly military, but also include civilians of note, including diplomats, the

Prime Minister of Prussia The office of Minister-President (german: Ministerpräsident), or Prime Minister, of Prussia existed from 1848, when it was formed by King Frederick William IV during the 1848–49 Revolution, until the abolition of Prussia in 1947 by the Alli ...

, jurists, poets, artists, and philosophers.
Image:Berlin (5595684986).jpg, Mounted (left): Duke Ferdinand. Partial Relief: Augustus and Belling. Foreground: Kleist, Dieskau, Winterfeldt. Mounted (right): Seydlitz. Image:Reiterstandbild_-_Friedrich_der_Große_-_Ostansicht_(_Details_-_Mitte_).jpg, (left to right) Joachim Bernhard von Prittwitz, Hans Sigismund von Lestwitz, Prince Augustus William of Prussia, Heinrich Sigismund von der Heyde, Johann Dietrich von Hülsen Image:Reiterstandbild - Friedrich der Große - Westansicht ( Details - Mitte ).jpg, Mounted (to the left): Seydlitz, Count Finckenstein, Schlabrendorf, Graun, Count von Carmer, Lessing, Kant, Mounted (to the right): Zeiten Image:Reiterdenkmal Inschriften-links.jpg, Dessau and Schwerin appear in partial relief. Foreground: Gessler, Wedel, the "Young Dessauer", Wartenberg, Freiherr von der Golz.

Lower band

The lowest band lists names of additional key figures from Frederick's reign, pressed in bronze.

South face

The south face displays bronze plaques with the names of 25 generals.

North face

The north face contains the names of 32 key military figures in Frederick's life. Thirty-two are generals; three are men who contributed significantly to various battles but because of early deaths did not reach the highest military rank.

West face

The west face includes 14 men who contributed to the Prussian state as diplomats, authors, jurists, architects, painters and poets.

East face

The east face bears the names of Frederick the Great, Frederick William III, and Frederick William IV, along with the dates on which the monument was commissioned and completed.

Other statues of Frederick the Great

Johann Gottfried Schadow Johann Gottfried Schadow (20 May 1764 – 27 January 1850) was a German Prussian sculptor. His most iconic work is the chariot on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, executed in 1793 when he was still only 29. Biography Schadow was born i ...

, who was Rauch's teacher and had received many commissions under the previous king, Frederick William II, had expected to carry out this commission. He had already in 1821–22 made a lifesize bronze of Frederick the Great with two

greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurge ...

s, which is at Sanssouci. He also created a marble statue of Frederick for the city of

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...

, now lost, a bronze reproduction of which is now in the grounds outside the New Wing at

Charlottenburg Palace Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) is a Baroque palace in Berlin, located in Charlottenburg, a district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf borough. The palace was built at the end of the 17th century and was greatly expanded during th ...

. In 1865 two students of Rauch's, Aloisio Lazzerini and Carlo Baratta, made an approximately half-size copy in marble of Rauch's equestrian statue, which is in the park at Sanssouci. Another smaller copy of Rauch's statue was made to commemorate Frederick's overnight stay in the Dehlitz section of

Lützen is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Geography Lützen is situated in the Leipzig Bay, approximately southwest of the Leipzig city limits and northeast of Weißenfels. The town has access to the Bundesstraße 8 ...

before the

Battle of Rossbach The Battle of Rossbach took place on 5November 1757 during the Third Silesian War (1756–1763, part of the Seven Years' War) near the village of Rossbach (Roßbach), in the Electorate of Saxony. It is sometimes called the Battle of, or at, R ...

in 1757, and stood in a park there from 1858 until World War II, when it was moved for safekeeping to Lützen Castle."Gutspark Dehlen"
Ausflüge in Lützen und Umgebung, Town of Lützen, retrieved 28 January 2015 .

References

Further information

* Jutta von Simson. ''Das Berliner Denkmal für Friedrich den Großen. Die Entwürfe als Spiegelung des preußischen Selbstverständnisses''. Frankfurt/Berlin: Ullstein/Propyläen, 1976, * * Frank Pieter Hesse and Gesine Sturm (ed.). ''Ein Denkmal für den König. Das Reiterstandbild für Friedrich II. Unter den Linden in Berlin''. Beiträge zur Denkmalpflege in Berlin 17. Berlin: Schelzky & Jeep, 2001, (German/English picture book) * Wieland Giebel (ed.). ''Das Reiterdenkmal Friedrichs des Großen''. Berlin: Story, 2007,
''Majestät reiten wieder''
, video on restoration completed in 2001, Mefisto Video GmbH (Windows Media Player) {{Coord, 52, 31, 02, N, 13, 23, 34, E, display=title Bronze sculptures in Germany Cultural depictions of Frederick the Great Equestrian statues in Germany Statues in Berlin Sculptures of men in Germany Statues of monarchs Mitte Frederick the Great Prussian Army personnel