Goethe Monument (Leipzig)

The Goethe Monument in Leipzig, Germany, is a bronze statue on a tall pedestal in the Naschmarkt area, right in front of the Old Trade Exchange. The statue shows the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as a young man, remembering the time he spent studying in Leipzig. It was made by the artist Carl Seffner, who lived from 1861 to 1932. This monument helps people remember Goethe’s time in Leipzig and his important place in literature and history.

History

In the 1890s, people in Leipzig started planning a monument for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The idea was led by the city archivist Gustav Wustmann. In 1895, artist Carl Seffner shared a sketch for a statue of young Goethe. First, they wanted a marble statue, but they later chose bronze instead.

The statue was placed in the Naschmarkt area. A young gymnastics teacher was the model for the statue. The bronze statue was finished in 1902 and officially shown on June 28, 1903. The city helped pay for the monument, which cost 44,000 marks.

Monument

The bronze statue of young Goethe is 2.65 metres (8.7 ft) tall. It stands on a 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) tall pedestal made of red granite. The statue shows Goethe as a student walking outdoors, holding a book to show his learning.

On the sides of the pedestal are two portraits. One is of Friederike Oeser, the daughter of Goethe’s drawing teacher in Leipzig. The other is of Anna Katharina Schönkopf, the daughter of an innkeeper where Goethe often had lunch. She was his first great love. The front of the pedestal has the words "Johann Wolfgang Goethe" inside a gold laurel-wreathed medallion. The back says "Student in Leipzig 1765–68". The girls’ portraits, like the front medallion, have laurel wreaths that match the decoration on the building behind the statue.

• The side medallions

Friederike Oeser

Käthchen Schönkopf

Restoration

The Goethe Monument in Leipzig was restored in 1985 and again in 2024. In 2024, the lettering was regilded, and the bronze figure and medallions were protected with microcrystalline wax. The restoration cost 70,000 euros.