Bavaria, Colossal bronze statue at Theresienwiese, Munich, Germany.
Bavaria is a colossal bronze statue standing at Theresienwiese in Munich, positioned in front of the Ruhmeshalle memorial building at the southern edge of the festival grounds. The female figure reaches 18.52 meters (60.8 feet) in height and weighs 87.36 tons, resting on a massive pedestal.
Ludwig I launched a competition in 1833 for a hall of fame above the Theresienwiese and chose Leo von Klenze's design in March 1834, largely because it included a colossal statue. The Bavaria was modelled by Ludwig Schwanthaler, who died before the work was executed, and cast by Ferdinand von Miller at the Munich foundry between 1844 and 1850. The bronze came from melted-down cannons.
The Bavaria personifies the Bavarian homeland and serves as a secular patroness of the state. The lion at her side is Bavaria's heraldic animal, and the raised oak wreath she holds is a symbol of honour. Visitors can climb inside the hollow bronze figure to a platform in the head, from which small openings give a view over the Theresienwiese.
An internal staircase leads to a viewing platform inside the head, where visitors can look out over Munich and the Oktoberfest grounds. The climb requires good physical condition, as the staircase is narrow and steep.
This monument was the first colossal bronze statue cast since classical antiquity, requiring new metalworking methods. The statue was assembled from multiple pieces connected internally by an iron framework.
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