Imagine a royal hunting party from centuries ago. It’s April 20th, 1618. They are in the Friedewald near Auer. This is where our story of the Wolfsdenkmal begins.
The Wolfsdenkmal. It is also known as Wolfssaule or Wolfsmonument. It stands as a hunting memorial. Johann Georg I ordered its creation. He was the Elector of Saxony. The memorial commemorates a particularly strong wolf. This wolf was killed here during a hunt.
Look closely at the stone base. You will see 36 people carved into it. Anthoni Brum was the lucky shot. He was called “Jäger-Jung”. In today’s terms, he was a young, inexperienced hunter. Despite being low in rank, he brought down the wolf.
Time moves forward to 1672. Johann Georg II renovated the Wolfsdenkmal. He added an inscription on the back. It celebrates his successful hunt. He killed a 16-point red deer on September 4, 1672.
Interestingly, some say the wolf shot here was the last in Saxony. However, this isn’t accurate. The Wolfsstein in Saxon Switzerland marks a wolf kill in 1640. The Wolfssaule in Laußnitz Heath commemorates one in 1740. The NABU states the last wolf in Saxony was shot in 1904. The last wolf in the Friedewald was sighted around 1750.
The Wolfsdenkmal sits not far from Auer. It is in the municipality of Weinböhla. The Lobetanzwiese lies to the south. The S80 state road runs to the north.
The monument stands 5.5 meters tall. It has a base of quarry stones. A rectangular pedestal rises above it. Inscriptions cover all sides. Atop the pedestal sits a sandstone wolf. It is about life-size. The inscription “Renovirt Anno 1736, 1866, 1913, 1945, 1981” goes around the upper base.
Sebastian Walther, a sculptor from Dresden, originally created the Wolfsdenkmal. It’s uncertain how much of the original remains. The monument has undergone many repairs. The original wolf figure was replaced in 1950 due to war damage. A copy stands in its place now.
The Wolfsdenkmal in Laußnitz Heath looks similar to this one.
Let’s consider the inscriptions. The front reads about the 1618 hunt. It mentions Johann George I and the wolf he had driven and shot. The sides list those present. Dukes, masters, foresters, and servants are named. The back inscription tells of Johann Georg II’s red deer hunt. He had the monument restored. Time and weather had ruined it.
Over the centuries, dedicated care has preserved the Wolfsdenkmal. It remains in good condition today. It reminds us of a time when wolves roamed these forests.