Unforeseen events cast long shadows. Here stands the Demmler-Denkmal a testament to a life tragically cut short. Veit Demmler was only 13 years old when he died near this very spot in 1621. His father, Christoph Demmler, was a cloth maker from Calw. Imagine the father’s grief.
The Demmler-Denkmal stands south of Magstadter Straße near the Neuen See. Christoph Demmler had this memorial erected in 1622 to honor his son. The monument marks where Veit Demmler died. He was on a journey home from the Nördlingen Fair with his father. A sudden accident claimed the young boy’s life.
The family saw Veit’s death as a profound loss. It affected them personally and in business. To erect this memorial, the parents gave 200 Gulden. This was a donation to Stuttgart’s poor box for permission.
Look closely at the Demmler-Denkmal. It rises about 4.5 meters high. Its style bridges the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The base is a square plinth. Above it, sandstone displays inscriptions. Further up, you’ll see a section that gently tapers. Reliefs shaped like faces adorn its four sides. An obelisk crowns the entire structure.
The artist who created this late-Renaissance memorial remains unknown. Yet, the Demmler-Denkmal speaks volumes. In 1910, sculptor A. Schenk and Baurat Bareiss renovated the monument. This preserved it for future generations.
The Verschönerungsverein Stuttgart documented it. They recorded Stuttgarter Kleindenkmale. Nearly 100 volunteers participated in this documentation. They started the project before the Wilhelm-Hauff-Denkmal.
Stand here for a moment. Reflect on the Demmler-Denkmal. Consider the young life it commemorates. It reminds us of unexpected loss. It shows a father’s enduring love. The Demmler-Denkmal is more than stone. It is a poignant story etched in time. It connects us to Stuttgart’s past. It calls us to remember Veit Demmler.