Eichendorff Monument (Wroclaw)

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This monument commemorated the great German Romantic poet Joseph von Eichendorff. It was built in 1911. To select the design of the monument a contest was held, which was won by Alexander Kraumann, though his design was slightly modified over the course of the projectk. The plinth of the monument was made of grey shell limestone imported from Grünsfeld near Stuttgart. In front is the inscription "Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff 1788-1857" (Joseph Baron von Eichendorff 1788-1857) and below "Errichtet 1911" (Erected 1911). On both sides are reliefs. The first is a woman with a lute sitting under a linden tree adored by a devotee. It depicts a scene from Eichendorff's novel "Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts" ("Of the Life of a Good-for-nothing"). The other side represents a farewell to the bride after the outbreak of war. On the pedestal was a bronze statue of a Eichendorff as a young wanderer looking off into the distance. However, the statue was destroyed in 1945, and only the base remains, neglected and graffitied.
A copy of this monument was unveiled on May 11, 2012 in the Wrocław Botanical Gardens. It was rebuilt thanks to the efforts of the German-Polish society of the University of Wrocław. Professors Norbert Heisig and Stanisław Wysocki made a ceremonial unveiling. The replica was made by Stanisław Wysocki (bronze statue) and Tomasz Rodzinski (pedestal).