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Unter den Linden

Friedrich der Große

Frederick the Great

Friedrich II. König von Preußen
Berlin 1712 - Potsdam, Sanssouci 1786
King in Prussia (1740-1772) and a King of Prussia (1772-1786)
(Wikipedia) 		Christian Daniel Rauch
1851

Berlin / Friedrich der Große   Berlin / Friedrich der Große

Description

Monumental equestrian statue of Frederick the Great wearing his king's robe. The statue stands on a decorated pedestal that represents the ruler as a popular personality. A specially formed government commission was involved with the selection and arrangement of the figures to be immortalized in the pedestal. These were especially significant contemporaries of Frederick the Great, his generals as well as thinkers of that time, for example, Kant and Lessing. A total of 74 men are shown here, including 21 as a life-sized sculptures. Rauch's staff in the preparation of the models were Albert Wolff, Gustav Bläser, Eduard Julius Gebhard, Hugo Hagen, Carl Wolgast, Christian Genschow, Adolph Bräunlich, Bernhard Afinger, Julius Franz and Rudolph Piehl. In the design of the horse Rauch used pictures of Frederick's favorite horse Condé.

The sockle is adorned with bronze statues and reliefs in three levels.

Central part

The central part has equestrian statues on the corners and in between them groups of statues with a relief as background. The names of the persons depicted as statues are in the border below, and those of the persons in the relief above them. The main figure of each side is underlined. Abbreviations of the military ranks:
G.D.I. = General der Infanterie - General of the Infantry
G.D.K. = General der Kavallerie - General of the Cavalry
G.F.M. = Generalfeldmarschall - General Field Marshal
G.L. = General-Lieutenant - Lietenant-General
G.M. = Generalmajor - Major-General
O. = Oberst - Colonel

East

Berlin - Friedrich der Große

Five statues, from left to right:

  1. ioach. bernh. v. prittwitz o.l. - Joachim Bernhard von Prittwitz (1726-1793), general of the cavalry (Wikipedia).
  2. hans sigism. v. lestwitz g.m. - Hans Sigismund von Lestwitz (1718-1788), major-general of the infantry (Wikipedia).
  3. aug. wilh. pr. v. preussen g.d.k. - August Wilhelm Prinz von Preußen (1722–1758), general, brother of Frederick the Great (Wikipedia).
  4. heinr. sigism. v.d. heyde o. - Heinrich Sigismund von der Heyde (1703-1765), Commander of the fortress Kolberg. In his hands of the statue is a plan of Kolberg. (Wikipedia).
  5. ioh. dietr. v. huelsen g.l. - Johann Dietrich von Hülsen (1693-1767), lieutenant-general of the infantry (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
1		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
2		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
3		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
4		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
5
In the background equestrian portraits of
  1. iacob keith g.f.m. - James Keith (1696-1758), Scottish soldier and Prussian field marshal. He ultimately came to serve in the Prussian army under Frederick the Great where he distinguished himself (Wikipedia).
  2. c.a. markgr. | v. brandenb. g.d.i. - Karl Friedrich Albrecht Markgraf zu Brandenburg-Schwedt (1705-1762), cousin of King Frederick II, General of the Infantry (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
6		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
7

Northeast

Equestrian statue of

  1. ferdinand herzog | v. braunschweig - Ferdinand von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (1721-1792), brother-in-law of King Frederick II, General Field Marshal (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große Berlin - Friedrich der Große
North

Berlin - Friedrich der Große

Five statues, from left to right:

  1. f.w.a. v. kleist g.m. - Friedrich Wilhelm Gottfried Arnd von Kleist (1724-1767), Major-General (Wikipedia).
  2. c.w. v. dieskau g.l. - Karl Wilhelm von Dieskau (1701-1777), Lieutenant-General (Wikipedia).
  3. h.c. v. winterfeldt g.l. - Hans Karl von Winterfeldt (1707-1757), Lieutenant-General and friend of King Frederick (Wikipedia).
  4. b.f. v. tauentzien g.d.i. - Friedrich Bogislav von Tauentzien (1710-1791), General of the Infantry (Wikipedia).
  5. eug. prz. v. wuertemberg g.l. - Friedrich Eugen Prinz von Württemberg (1732-1797), Lieutenant-General (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
9		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
10		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
11		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
12		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
13
In the background equestrian portraits of
  1. pr.v. preussen fr. wilh. ii g.l. - Friedrich Wilhelm Prinz von Preußen, later King Friedrich Wilhelm II (1744-1797), Nephew of King Frederick II, Lieutenant-General (Wikipedia).
  2. w.s. v. belling gen.l. - Wilhelm Sebastian von Belling (1719-1779), Lieutenant-General of the Hussars (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
14		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
15

Northwest

Equestrian statue of

  1. f.w. v. seydlitz g.d.c. - Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz-Kurzbach (1721-1773), General of the Cavalry (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große Berlin - Friedrich der Große
West

Berlin - Friedrich der Große

Six statues, five standing and one sitting, representing the intellectual life:

  1. c.w. graf finck v. finckenstein - Karl Wilhelm Graf Finck von Finckenstein (1714-1800), German-Prussian diplomat and later Prime Minister of Prussia (Wikipedia).
  2. e.w. v. schlabrendorff - Ernst Wilhelm von Schlabrendorf (1719-1769), Prussian minister of Silesia (Wikipedia).
  3. c.h. graun - Carl Heinrich Graun (1704-1759), German composer and singer, Kapellmeister to King Frederick (Wikipedia).
  4. i.h.c. graf v. carmer - Johann Heinrich Casimir Graf von Carmer (1720-1801), Großkanzler (Wikipedia).
  5. g. ephr. lessing - Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic (Wikipedia).
  6. immanuel kant - Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), German philosopher who researched, lectured and wrote on philosophy and anthropology during the Enlightenment (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
17		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
18		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
19		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
20		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
21		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
22
In the background two winged female figures representing the genius of Peace and Prosperity (Felicitas publica).

Southwest

Equestrian statue of

  1. h.i. v. zieten g.d.c. - Hans Joachim von Zieten (1699-1786), General of the Hussars (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große Berlin - Friedrich der Große

South

Berlin - Friedrich der Große

Five statues, from left to right:

  1. f.l. gr. v. gessler g.f.m. - Friedrich Leopold Graf von Geßler (1688-1762), General-Fieldmarshall (Wikipedia).
  2. g.v. v. wedell obrl. - Georg Vivigenz von Wedell (1710-1745), Lieutenant-Colonel (Deutsche Biographie).
  3. leop. max erbpr. v. anh. dessau g.f.m. - Leopold II. Maximilian, Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau (1700-1751), General-Fieldmarshall, son of no. 29 (Wikipedia).
  4. h.c. v. wartemberg g.m. - Hartwig Karl von Wartenberg (1711-1747), Major-General, commander of the Wartenberg Hussars (Wikipedia).
  5. g.c. freih. v.d. goltz g.m. - Georg Konrad von der Goltz (1704-1747), Major-General (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
24		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
25		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
26		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
27		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
28
In the background equestrian portraits of
  1. leop. fuerst v. anh. dessau g.f.m. - Leopold I. Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau (1676-1747), General-Fieldmarshall, father of no. 26 (Wikipedia).
  2. k.c. gr. v. schwerin g.f.m. - Curt Christoph Graf von Schwerin (1684-1757), General-Fieldmarshall (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
29		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
30

Southeast

Equestrian statue of

  1. heinrich prinz | v. preussen g.d.i. - Prinz Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen (1726-1802), General of the Infantry, brother of King Frederick II (Wikipedia).

Berlin - Friedrich der Große Berlin - Friedrich der Große

Upper part

Frieze with reliefs:
  1. E: The king sits on the fountain tube of Kolin, hit by the changing fate of the war, seemingly prostrated but not broken, through perseverance and prudence winning back the victory; in the background we see Bellona-Borussia directs the thoughts of the king to victorious new paths
  2. N: Three scenes showing the king in his creative efforts of Arts and Crafts
    1. The king in the shop of a Silesian weaver, testing his work, while Athena the goddess of the arts and trades Athena gives the 'Webeschiffchen'.
    2. The king playing flute with the muses in the background.
    3. At Sans-souci Knobelsdorff brings the king a bronze classical sculpture of a boy.

    Berlin - Friedrich der Große
    1    		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
    2
  3. W: Sitting on an eagle, the king, adorned with palm and laurel wreath, to the heaven, to the constellation 'Friedrichs Ehre' (The constellation Honoris Friderici - Frederick's Honor - was proposed by Johann Elert Bode in 1787, but not generally accepted - it is part of the constellaton of Lacerta).
  4. S: Three scenes showing Frederick's birth and education:
    1. Genii bring the highly anticipated child to his parents.
    2. Elio educates the young Frederick and shows him his great examples.
    3. Athena arms the youth to join the army of his father

    Berlin - Friedrich der Große
    3    		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
    4
On the corners four virtues.
  1. NE: Stärke / Strength, woman with club.
  2. NW: Weisheit / Wisdom, woman with mirror
  3. SW: Mäßigung / Temperance, sitting woman
  4. SE: Gerechtigkeit / Justice, woman with sword and sign justitia

Berlin - Friedrich der Große
1		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
2		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
3		 Berlin - Friedrich der Große
4

Lower part

Plaques with the names of important personalities in the sphere of Frederick II.
East:
FRIEDRICH DEM GROSSEN
FRIEDRICH WILHELM DER DRITTE
MDCCCXXXX
VOLLENDET UNTER FRIEDR. WILH. DEM VIERTEN
MDCCCLI
North:
c.v. linger gen. d. art.
w.diet.v. buddenbrock
gen. fm.
ch.wilh.v. kalckstein
gen. fm.
j.c.v. jeetze
diet. fuerst v. anhalt
dessau gen. fm. 		h.v. lehwaldt gen. fm.
fr. seb. w. truchsess
gr. z.waldburg gen.l.
c.e. gr. nassau gen.l.
p.l. du moulin gen. d.i.
fr. mgr.v. brandenburg
oberst
c.l.v. bredow gen.l. 		aug. ferd. pr.v. preussen
gen.d.i.
moritz frst. v. anhalt
dessau gen. fm.
fr.w.mgr.v. brandenb.
gen.m.
august wilh. herz.v.
braunsch. bevern g.d.i. 		fr.r.gr. rothenburg
gen.l.
heinrich c.l.v. herault
rit.v. hautcharmoy g.l.
h.a. freih. de la motte
fouque gen.d.i.
g.l. herz.v. holstein
gottorp gen.l. 		a.v. katzler gen.l.
c.burgg.z. dohna gn.l.
chph.l.v. stille gen.m.
c.e.v. Schultze gen.l.
frdr.w.q.v. forcade
de.biaix. gen.l.
frz. carl l.gr.v. wied
z. neuwied gen.l.
West:
ewald friedr. gr. v. hertzberg
samuel freiherr v. cocceii
george wenzeslaus freiherr
v. knobelsdorff
christian freiherr v. wolff
carl wilhelm ramler
iohann wilhelm ludwig gleim
christian garve 		ewald christian v. kleist
iohann friedrich v. domhardt
chr. fuerchtegott gellert
pierre louis moreau de
maupertuis
charles etienne iordan
iohann winckelmann
antoine pesne
South:
a.f. v. itzenplitz gen.l.
g.w. v driesen gen.l.
w.f. v. retzow gen.l.
o. v. schwerin gen.l.
a.c. v. waldow gen.l.
g.b.v. muenchow gen.l.
j.c.f. fuerst schoenaich
carolath gen.l. 		c.w. v. bonin gen.l.
i.c. v. treskow gen.l.
p.v. pennavaire gen.l.
c.f. v.lattorff gen.l.
h.v. manteuffel gen.l.
a. v. krockow gen.l.
franz herz.v.braunsch.
wolfenbuettel gen.m. 		d.f. v. platen gen.d.k.
carl w.fd. erbprinz
v. braunschweig
wilh. graf v.d. lippe
bueckeburg feldzeugm.
c.c. freih. v.d. goltz gn.l.
c.h.v. wedell gen.l. und
staatsminister 		m.f.c. v. wobersnow gn.m.
g.l. v. puttkammer gn.m.
w.d. v. wacknitz obristl.
s.m.v. langen maior
c.f. v. moller oberst
r.s. v. lentulus gen.l.
f.c. v. saldern gen.l.
i.f. v. stutterheim gn.l. 		paul v. werner gen.l.
i.i. wunsch gen.d.i.
c.c. v. buelow gen.d.k.
heinr.g.v.braun gen.l.
a.e. v. bredow gen.l.
h.f. v. krusemarck gn.l.
f.w.e. v. gaudi gen.l.
w.i.h.v. moellendorff g.fm.

Annotation

The foundation stone was laid on 1 June 1840, the 100th Anniversary of the accession of Frederick II. The installation of the monument was delayed by the revolutionary events of 1848/49. Inauguration on 31 May 1851.
Protected in World War II by a "bunker" made ​​of concrete against the bombing, this was opened in 1950. In the spirit of that era when the Prussian heritage of the city would wiped out (demolition of the City Palace in the same year), the monument was dismantled into individual parts, mounted on the edge of the Hippodrome in the park Sanscoussi in Potsdam. In 1962 replaced in the center of the newly designed Hippodrome. In 1981 it returned to the Unter den Linden, however, several meters away from its original location. In 1997 began a much-needed restoration. At the same time, the old site was prepared by redesigning the road lay-oyt and the monument stands since the end of 2000 on its old location.

Sculptor

Sources & Information

Tags

  • Finck von Finckenstein, Karl Wilhelm
  • Frederick II (King of Prussia)
  • Frederick the Great (King of Prussia)
  • Geßler, Friedrich Leopold von
  • Goltz, Georg Konrad von der
  • Graun, Carl Heinrich
  • Heyde, Heinrich Sigismund von der
  • Hülsen, Johann Dietrich von
  • Justice (Justitia)
  • Kant, Immanuel
  • Keith, James (Jakob von)
  • Kleist, Friedrich von
  • Knobelsdorff, Georg Wenzeslaus von
  • Leopold I (Prince of Anhalt-Dessau)
  • Leopold II Maximilian Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau
  • Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim
  • Lestwitz, Hans Sigismund von
  • Monarch
  • Philosopher
  • Politician/Statesman
  • Preußen, August Wilhelm Prinz von
  • Preußen, Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von
  • Prittwitz, Joachim Bernhard von
  • Rauch, Christian Daniel
  • Schlabrendorf, Ernst Wilhelm von
  • Schwerin, Curt Christoph von
  • Seydlitz-Kurzbach, Friedrich Wilhelm von
  • Statue (man)
  • Strength (Fortitudo)
  • Tauentzien, Friedrich Bogislav von
  • Temperance (Temperantia)
  • Virtues
  • Wartenberg, Hartwig Karl von
  • Wedell, Georg Vivigenz von
  • Winterfeldt, Hans Karl von
  • Wisdom
  • Writer / poet
  • Württemberg, Friedrich Eugen Prinz von
  • Zieten, Hans Joachim von

    • Locatie (N 52°31'2" - E 13°23'33") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

    Item Code: debe008; Photograph: 9 August 2013
    Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
    If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
    © Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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