Statue of Frederick the Great, popularly known as the 'Alte Fritz' is a famous tourist attraction in Berlin situated in the Unter den Linden Boulevard. It is also known as Reiterdenkmal Friedrichs des Grossen or the Equestrian Statue of Frederick the Great.
Formulated, planned and constructed over a period of 70 years, this statue portrays the time and era of Frederick the Great. Over hundred designsers and 40 artists are estimated to have been involved in the making of the statue. The statue was crafted under the supervision of Christian Daniel Rauch who was the chief designer of this masterpiece.
The bronze Statue of Frederick the Great is 13.5 meters high and is situated between Humboldt University and Berlin State Library. Garbed in his formal uniform, Frederick the King is seen riding his favorite horse, Conde. The minuteness of craftsmanship comes alive with the three-tiered pedestal encapsulating the history and the era during the reign of King Frederick.
|
The lowermost part constitutes of four tablets siting the names of 60 popular figures during the period of construction of the statues.
The second tier of the pedestal of Statue of Frederick the Great has the statues of the 4 important cavalry commanders during the reign of the King. These are placed at the four corners of the tier. The four commanders who are portrayed here are Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, Prince Henry of Prussia, Hans Joachim von Ziethen and Generals Friedrick Wilhelm von Saydlitz. Between these statues are placed the 21 sculptures of renowned generals in the army battalion of the king, scholars in art, politics and science.
The topmost tier is embellished with motifs depicting the life of the king. It also inscribes the virtues and the duties of a king through allegorical representations.
The Statue of King Fredrick salutes the bravery and spirit of this great king.
|
