The Schubert Monument, a statue in the Stadtpark in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria, is a memorial to the composer

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...

(1797–1828), unveiled in 1872.

History

In 1862 the Wiener Männergesang-Verein ("Vienna Men's Choral Society") set up a fund for the erection of a monument to Schubert. Funds were raised during the following years, partly from concerts and from donations from other choral societies. After some discussion about the location of the memorial in the Stadtpark ("city park"), and whether it should be a statue or a portrait

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

, the sculptor Carl Kundmann was commissioned to create the statue."The Schubert Statue"
''Visiting Vienna''. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
''Kunst und Kultur in Wien''. Retrieved 1 February 2022. The painter, and a friend of Schubert,

Moritz von Schwind image:Moritz von Schwind 2.jpg, 200px, Moritz von Schwind, c. 1860. Moritz von Schwind (21 January 1804 – 8 February 1871) was an Austrian painter, born in Vienna. Schwind's genius was lyrical—he drew inspiration from chivalry, folklore, and t ...

, was responsible for the likeness of the portrayal. The pedestal, showing reliefs by Kundmann, was designed by

Theophil Hansen Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen (; original Danish name: Theophilus Hansen, ; 13 July 1813 – 17 February 1891) was a Danish architect who later became an Austrian citizen. He became particularly well known for his buildings and structures in ...

. The statue was made of

Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...

. The foundation stone was laid in 1868, in the presence of the Mayor of Vienna,

Andreas Zelinka Andreas Zelinka (; 23 February 1802 – 21 January 1868) was a Czech-Austrian politician. He served as the List of mayors of Vienna, mayor of Vienna, Austria from 1861 to 1868. Life Zelinka was born on 23 February 1802 in Vyškov, Moravia. He ...

. The unveiling, on 15 May 1872, was attended by the Mayor of Vienna

Cajetan von Felder Baron Cajetan von Felder (; 19 September 1814 – 30 November 1894) was an Austrian lawyer, entomologist and liberal politician. He served as mayor of Vienna from 1868 to 1878. Life and career Felder was born in Wieden, today the fourth di ...

, members of the Schubert family and associates. The speech was given by Nikolaus Dumba, an industrialist and patron of the arts.

Description

The statue shows Schubert seated, with music paper on his knees and a pen in his hand. He has a pensive expression, as though thinking about a new composition. The inscription reads: "Franz Schubert / Seinem Andenken / Der Wiener Männergesangsverein / MDCCCLXXII" ("Franz Schubert: to his memory. The Vienna Men's Choral Society, 1872"). The reliefs on the pedestal represent "Imagination" (on the front), "Instrumental music" (on the left) and "Vocal music" (on the right).

References

{{Reflist Franz Schubert Monuments and memorials in Vienna Statues of musicians