Controversy surrounded him even in death. Here stands the Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue. It commemorates a pivotal figure of the German Enlightenment.
This statue sits in the middle of the Gänsemarkt. It is protected by Hamburg’s monument protection laws. Buildings such as Gänsemarkt 13 and Lessing-Haus are also part of this ensemble.
Let’s delve into the details of the Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue. The bronze figure is 2.20 meters tall. It sits on a 2.50-meter-high granite base. The entire monument weighs about 4.5 tons.
The Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue depicts him sitting on a chair. He wears an 18th-century costume. It includes a coat, jabot, vest, breeches, silk stockings and buckled shoes. Notice the meticulous details in his clothing. The folds in his stockings and seams of his trousers are visible.
His facial features are somewhat idealized. His eyes are a bit smaller and his cheekbones are more pronounced. Sculptor Fritz Schaper aimed to convey Lessing’s energy and intellect. One side of his face seems melancholic. The other hints at a smile.
Lessing’s body is turned sideways. His head faces right. His right arm rests on his thigh. His left hand holds a closed book. His index finger marks his place. His legs are posed like those of a stage actor.
The chair rests on a bronze plate. Fritz Schaper and the H. Gladenbeck and Son foundry signed it. The base consists of polished red granite. It has three slightly curved sides. Bronze plaques adorn each side. The front plaque shows Lessing’s birth and death dates. The other two show portraits of notable Hamburg personalities.
One portrait is of actor Conrad Ekhof. He worked with Lessing at the Hamburg National Theater. The other is of Hermann Samuel Reimarus. Lessing posthumously published Reimarus’s work which led to the Fragment Controversy. These portraits resemble coins hanging from laurel and oak branches.
The base has three broad volutes. Narrow bronze panels with allegorical motifs are set within. The front panels show a Gorgon and a Satyr mask. They symbolize tragic and comic muses. The rear panel displays a scroll. It lists abbreviated titles of Lessing’s important works. These include Hamburgische Dramaturgie, Nathan der Weise, Laokoon and Ernst und Falk.
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing lived in Hamburg from 1767 to 1770. He worked as a dramaturg and advisor at the newly opened Hamburg National Theater. His play Minna von Barnhelm premiered there. It became the theater’s most successful play. The Hamburg National Theater closed two years later due to financial problems.
During his time in Hamburg, Lessing met Johann Gottfried Herder and Philipp Emanuel Bach. He also met his future wife Eva König. He also became acquainted with Johann Melchior Goeze. This led to the Fragment Controversy.
Lessing collaborated with Johann Joachim Christoph Bode. He participated in Bode’s printing house. It published his Hamburgische Dramaturgie. The business struggled financially. In 1770, Lessing accepted a position as a librarian in Wolfenbüttel.
After Lessing died in 1781, the Fragment Controversy lingered. The Hamburg Theater held a memorial. But the Hamburg Senate prohibited newspaper coverage.
In 1876, the Association for Art and Science requested a Lessing monument. The Hamburg Senate approved it. A competition was held. Sculptors submitted designs. Schaper was the only competitor to depict Lessing seated. A jury awarded him first prize in 1878.
The seated pose sparked debate. Georg Karl Hirsche advocated for a standing statue. Schaper initially showed Lessing crossing his legs casually. Critics deemed it inappropriate. He altered this detail. His initial base design included figures of Hammonia, Poesie and Kritik. It also featured portrait medallions of Eva König and Reimarus. This idea was scrapped.
Schaper received the commission in 1879. The monument cost over 70,000 marks. It was funded by donations. The cornerstone was laid on February 15, 1881. The Gänsemarkt was chosen because it was the site of the Hamburg National Theater.
Schaper created the Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue in Berlin. The bronze parts were cast by H. Gladenbeck and Son. Kessel & Röhl processed the base. The finished work was transported to the Gänsemarkt. The Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue was unveiled on September 8, 1881.
During the Nazi era, the monument faced threats. Nazis demanded the removal of Freemason symbols. In 1940, a plan to melt the figure for munitions failed. An air raid in 1944 knocked the figure off its base. The statue was buried to prevent damage. In 1950, the Senate decided to restore it. It was reinstalled on the Gänsemarkt in 1955.
The Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Statue was moved during Gänsemarkt renovations. In 2016, it was returned to the center of the square. It was placed facing the former location of the National Theater.