Athena with Heroes at Schlossbrucke

Schlossbrucke, Berlin
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Overview

The Palace Bridge (Schlossbrucke) is located between the Palace Square (Schlossplatz) and the famous avenue "under the lime trees" (Unter den Linden) in Berlin, Germany.

Berlin Map
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The Palace Bridge was designed in 1821 by the architect K.F.Schinkel and was built in 1824. The sculptures were add after the revolution of 1848/49.

The Project

In the beginning the remarkable decoration with figures, consisting of naked heroes and antique goddesses, was most disputed.

Full view
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Karl Friedrich Schinkel had planned eight double figures as the culmination for the building, which was erected as a replacement for the dilapidated "dog bridge" at the same place.

Schinkel had conceives the bridge to be constructed not only as a bare ornament. Its "important articles" floating as decorative forwards.

The figures on high pedestals should become a unity and give greatness to the whole plan.

Over the bare decoration, the figures should remind the heroes of the wars of liberation in classical impassibility.

The sculptures sketched by Schinkel show the development of a hero from early youth over manhood up to death on the battlefield as well as his translation to Olympus.

Originally the figures had been thought to be made of cast-iron. The metal applied after the wars of liberation as "patriotic material", from which also the Iron Cross was manufactured.

However Schinkel foresaw that iron could grant no pretty view to be seen namely on a female body implemented "in this rough and unpleasant metal".

The projected groups contained "very beautiful naked young man and woman shapes", who would grant a sad sight from iron, predicted the master.

Thus it was decided to manufacture the figures of the Palace Bridge out of marble, which allows today stone restorers to do regular inspections and occasional subsequent reparations.

With iron figures one would have to drive certainly still larger monument nursing expenses, because the metal is extremely corrosion susceptible, as the care measures with the cast-iron cross mountain monument (Kreuzbergdenkmals) show.

The master builder saw those "as a wonderful memory of the fight for freedom and independence" meaning the antique Goddesses, with and without wings, Nike and Athena, together with the associated warrior.

The economical and not prone to take risks Friedrich William III did not have much remains for such piece of decoration since the Hohenzollern rule was badly cut and Prussia had run into oppression.

Under the pressure of the events the monarch had seen itself forced to concessions, for which he would have never consented himself under "normal" circumstances.

1840
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The son of the king and successor Friedrich William IV, who should play a so inglorious role in the revolution of 1848, but as an artist and as a patron was prominent, he left complete the incomplete buildings and monumental projects of his father. This was also the case with the decoration of the Palace Bridge.

1875
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The four groups of the corners represent the following topics:

Nike teaches legends to the young hero (by Emil Wolff, 1847)
Nike crowns the winner (by Friedrich Drake, 1853)
Nike directs the wounded (by Ludwig Wichmann, 1853)
Nike carries the fallen warrior up to Olympus (August Wredow, 1847)

These groups with the winged Goddess of Victory are associate with four central groups with woman shapes without wings, but magnificent helmets, the Goddess of Wisdom:

Athena instructs the young man in the use of weapons (Hermann Schievelbein, 1853)
Athena arms the warrior (Karl Heinrich Moeller, 1851)
Athena leads the young man into the new fight (Albert Wolff, 1853)
Athena protects the young hero (Gustav Blaeser, 1854)

South side
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North side
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The Inauguration

The Palace Bridge was inaugurated on November 28th, 1823, on the day princess Elizabeth of Bavaria was presented to the people.

"the students of Berlin organized a torch course in honor of the bride of the successor to the throne.

The torches were thrown together on the, at that time still free, center of the Desire Garden (Lustgartens).

The flow back of the crowd watching the display started as the result of an incorrect rumor, that the new bridge would be blocked for the traffic.

On the side of the bridge, during the time of building, there was established a wooden bridge, and many persons fell into the water and more than 20 persons died.

The notice of the death of so many people, who had lost their lives in this sad ending of the festival day, were forbidden, in consideration for the princely bride, in the newspapers by the censor, and its publication was only able to be obtained through the emphatic complains at the Ministry, caused strong indignation in the population."

Excerpts from
Krieger, S. 102

Destruction and Restoration

The figures were almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, but were again set up after the restoration in 1983/84.

After WWII
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The restoration of the Palace Bridge became possible after the eight double figures, which had been dismantled and removed in the Second World War, had arrived to East Berlin in the year 1981, made in West Berlin, being exchanged with archives from the 'Königlichen Porzellanmanufaktur'. Carefully restored, they returned in 1983 and 1984 to their old bases.

In the summer of 1989, the still missing eagle medallions were inserted into the sockets. Four reliefs show the fight of an eagle with a snake, another one show the predator bird with lightning bundles.

Sculptors from the "Stuck und Naturstein GmbH Berlin" created the round marble reliefs after castings, which arrived into East Berlin through the exchange against other art property from West Berlin.

Present

The rehabilitation of the Palace Bridge devoured millions and strained the patience of drivers to the extreme.

Now Schinkels' masterpiece shows up in its whole beauty and is again a popular subject for photos as formerly.

Clickable Plan

Clickable aerial view
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Gallery


Berlin Map	Aerial	1840

1875	1900	1930

After WWII	Full	South

SW 1	SW 2	SW 3

SW 4	SW 5	SE 1

SE 2	SE 3	SE 4

SE 5	SE 6	North

NW 1	NW 2	NW 3

NW 4	NW 5	NE 1

NE 2	NE 3	NE 4

NE 5

Tourist Information

The Palace Bridge (Schlossbrucke) is located in the historic center (Mitte) of Berlin, Germany, between the Palace Square (Schlossplatz) and the famous avenue "under the lime trees" (Unter den Linden).

Take the train (S-Bahn) or the underground train (U-Bahn) and leave it at Friedrichstrass station, follow the Friedrichstrass, on the left, take the celebrated "under the lime trees" (Unter den Linden) to get to the Palace Bridge (Schlossbrucke).

Other Views

Wikipedia

Links

Schlossbrücke - Wikipedia
Berlin Palace: with pages in German, English and French
Das Berliner Stadtschloss: in German

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