Equestrian statue of King Friedrich II. of Prussia - Berlin

Alex Bransby

One of my favourite spots in Berlin. Right on Unter den Linden and close to other sights and attractions, this beautiful statue of Alte Fritz. Better known as Friedrich der Große (Frederick the Great), has an interesting history as well as looks absolutely stunning in its sculpture.

Located in the middle of the main boulevard; Unter Den Linden, it is directly west of the beautiful Bebelplatz and right next to the Staatsbibliothek and Humboldt University (actually the former palace of Fredrick’s younger brother). Easy to get to as its right by the extended and beautifully new U5 stations of Unter Den Linden and Museumsinsel. You will almost certainly pass it when visiting the other main sights in Mitte. Make sure to cross one of the sides of UDL to have a closer look and admire the craftsmanship.

The statue has an interesting history, showing the greatest king of Prussia, and one of Germanys greatest leaders; the enlightened monarch; Frederick II. Commissioned by Fredrick’s great nephew; King Friedrich Wilhelm III, a year before the centenary of the start of Frederick the Greats reign, if but not completed until 11 years after his death. It was eventually completed in 1851. During WWII it was encased in concrete to protect it from bombing raids, which thankfully worked as the statue was mostly undamaged. After the war, the statues location ended up in the Soviet sector and eventually East Berlin, the capital of the DDR (East Germany). For the communist government of the time, the statue was an unwelcome reminder of Germany’s militarist Prussian monarchical past, and so in 1950 it was removed to the quiet park at Schloss Sanssouci im Potsdam, Fredericks former home. The statue was unfortunately damaged by metal thieves and the authorities almost melted it down, but the statue was repaired and re-erected outside the nearby Charlottenhof Palace. In the 1980s the East German government changed its mind about Frederick. They reclaimed him as a “King of the beggars” a monarch with a social conscience, and once again placed his statue back on UDL. The statue was approximately 6m from its old (and current) position, but once again in the centre of Berlin. After German reunification the statue was moved back to its old position, completely repaired and the iron railings lampposts, restored.

The statue has an unusually large and detailed plinth and stands 13.5m high, with the equestrian figure itself being 5.6m tall. The plinth shows reliefs of the four cardinal virtues and many important scenes from Fredrick’s life. 74 full relief depictions of many of the notable men from his reign include many of his field marshals and military men who helped his many conquests, but also philosophers, statesman, mathematicians, poets, engineers and other important figures who helped in Prussia’s emergence as a great power of the 18th century.

This stunning statue is not hard to miss, and definitely worth a visit and a closer look to admire. Take the opportunity to learn about Fredrick the Great and admire the artwork. The area it stands in was laid out by Frederick and its only fitting that the place this beautiful statue stands is in an area planned by the man himself.

macedonboy

This monument stands in tribute to Frederick the Great, the Prussian king who made Prussia the preeminent German kingdom and the de facto leading state of the German Empire.

The monument is a larger than life equestrian sculpture of Frederick and standing on an unusually tall pedestal. The pedestal is nearly 8 metres high and it probably has to be that tall to accommodate the two bands of sculpture, most of which are in full relief. Most of these sculptures depicts the great men of Frederick the Great's time in life size. The statue of Frederick depicts the king in military uniform, underneath a cloak. On his uniform, he is wearing honours and decorations, and with his characteristic bicorne hat.

A monumental and magnificent sculpture.

Alexandr Orlov

Very beautiful sculpture. Friedrich himself looks as normal as any correctly made sculpture, but the pedestal of his sculpture was the most part interesting for me. There are many historical pictures around that pedestal, and they made accurately and depict interesting moments.

Anas Alsayed

An important statue that survived several wars and is still standing. Recommended to pass by it while visiting Berlin. It is located in the heart of the city and is hard to miss.

Russell Wilkinson

Got to be the most famous statue in Berlin, of Friedrich the great who was the hero of Adolf Hitler because he was a brilliant military commander who greatly enlarged Prussian territory and made them the foremost power in Europe. You can not visit Berlin and not see it.

Brad

The Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great is located along Unter den Linden pointing in the direction of Museum Island. This monument was created by Christian Daniel Rauch and originally unveiled in 1851.

Here you will see a 13.5 metre tall monument showing King Fredrick II of Prussia mounted on horseback in military commander uniform. Around the base of the monument and amongst the reliefs are 74 great men from the time and reign of Frederick the Great.

Overall, this monument is a rather nice composition and worth having a look if you enjoy this type of attractions during your travels and plan to be in the Unter den Linden area.

sam morrow

Big statue of a general on a horse in the middle of a busy road.

Vitali Andrusiak

That was a lovely walk along the Main Street, passing this statue and many other beautiful places and buildings.