“What secrets do these silent deer hold” you wonder as you stand before the Hirschtor in Potsdam. This isn’t just any gate. It’s a portal to centuries of Prussian history. The Hirschtor or Deer Gate as its name suggests is known for its magnificent reclining deer sculptures.
Originally called the Wassertor or Water Gate the Hirschtor was built between 1841 and September 1842. Ludwig Persius designed this antiquised gate architecture. Two tall pillars dominate either side of the passage. Interestingly sixteen zinc cast dog head masks once adorned the pillars. They are now lost somewhere in the mists of time possibly disappearing around 1945.
Persius’ initial design didn’t include animal sculptures. However two standing golden deer arrived in 1842. They were a gift to Prince Carl of Prussia. By 1868 these deer were showing significant wear. Two reclining deer replaced them. These were cast in zinc and gilded around 1845 by the Kahle foundry. They were based on models created by Christian Daniel Rauch.
Rauch initially sculpted two reclining deer models in 1822-1823. Bronze versions appeared in the hunting park of Neustrelitz Castle in 1826. Rauch reworked his models in 1843-1844. He gave the deer a more natural head position. He changed their stiff frontal pose. Bronze castings were made for the north gate of Potsdam’s wildlife park. These remained there until 1945. Today they reside in Wünsdorf. The zinc deer at the Hirschtor became so dilapidated they were replaced early in the 20th century. Two bronze deer based on Rauch’s models took their place.
These bronze deer had a prior life. Until 1861 they decorated the main gate of Klein-Glienicke Palace. They were displaced by griffin figures. Before that they had ousted two standing lions. The lions moved to the palace’s Lion Fountain. From the 1860s these reclining deer graced the entrance to Glienicke Hunting Lodge. They became redundant in 1892. Finally they found their home at the Hirschtor near the Wannsee after 1918.
So next time you see the Hirschtor remember its story. It whispers tales of artistic shifts and regal preferences. It stands as a silent observer of Potsdam’s rich and complex past. Its history unfolds not just in stone and bronze but in the subtle changes of its deer. The Hirschtor is more than a gate. It is a living monument.