Statue of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, Bronze monument at Schinkelplatz, Berlin, Germany
The Statue of Karl Friedrich Schinkel stands at Schinkelplatz in Berlin-Mitte, depicting the architect as a bronze figure holding a drawing and pencil in his hands. The statue rests on a red granite pedestal with four bronze caryatids at the corners, making the overall construction approximately 4 meters tall.
Sculptor Friedrich Drake created this monument in 1869 to honor Schinkel's legacy. It suffered damage during World War II and lost its original caryatids in 1949, which were later replaced with new bronze figures.
The four bronze caryatids on the pedestal represent different creative and scientific fields: one carries an architectural model, another holds a brush and palette, a third displays a scroll, and the fourth swings a hammer. Together they form a visual symbol of the creative diversity that Schinkel embodied during his lifetime.
The monument stands on a public square in front of the former Building Academy site and is freely accessible year-round. The location is near several other historical buildings and museums, making it a natural stop when exploring Berlin's architectural heritage.
After war damage and the loss of the original figures, nearly two decades passed before a major restoration in 2011 replaced the four missing caryatids with new bronze castings. This long gap in the monument's history made the final restoration a significant moment for the city.
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