Nathan, Bronze monument in Wolfenbüttel, Germany

Nathan is a slightly over-life-size bronze statue of the title figure of Lessing's play Nathan der Weise, modelled on actor Ernst Deutsch in his stage costume. The bearded figure stands upright in a long robe and cap, right hand extended downward, left fist pressed to the chest, and is flattened at the back from about chest height. It stands on a concrete base about half a metre high whose bronze plate reads 'NATHAN DER WEISE'.

The bronze was cast in 1961 by sculptor Erich Schmidtbochum and set up by the city of Wolfenbüttel on a lawn between the castle, the Lessinghaus, the Herzog August Bibliothek and the Zeughaus. That lawn once held the library's Rotunde, demolished in 1887, where Lessing worked as librarian; his service flats in the castle and in the Meißnerhaus and Lessinghaus stand within sight. Lessing wrote Nathan der Weise in the Lessinghaus a few metres away.

The city officially calls itself "Lessingstadt", and the monument stands where the Herzog August Library's Rotunde once stood, demolished in 1887, where Lessing worked as librarian. The square between library and castle is now Lessingplatz, the street to the north Lessingstraße, and the theatre opened in 1909 was renamed Lessing-Theater in 1929.

The monument is located in the center of the historic district and is easily reached on foot. The site offers good visibility from all sides and is freely accessible, making it simple to view the statue details and inscription.

The figure is modelled on actor Ernst Deutsch in his stage costume as Nathan. The bronze is flattened at the back from about chest height down, so it is not fully three-dimensional, and the base plate reads "NATHAN DER WEISE".