Buchstabenstein, Baroque monogram relief at Seelensteig, Meissen, Germany.
Buchstabenstein is a sandstone relief with interwoven letters A, B, C, and E set into a retaining wall at Freiheit 10 in Meissen. The carved initials form an artistic monogram that reveals the full alphabet upon closer examination.
The relief was created around 1690 and likely honored the Saxon official Johann Christoph Beyer and his wife Anna Elisabeth through their interwoven initials. The choice of this couple's names reflected their importance to the community at that time.
The relief shows how artists in the 17th century used monograms to weave multiple letters together artfully. The carefully designed initials allow you to spot all the letters of the alphabet when looking closely.
The relief sits on the eastern outer wall at Freiheit 10 and is easily reached from Meißner Seelensteig lane. The location is walking distance from the town center near the church district.
A simplified copy of the stone was installed in 2006 on the facade of Dresden's Hotel de Saxe. This reproduction brought the original Meissen work to the attention of visitors in the Saxon capital.
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