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William I Monument (Szczecin)

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Coordinates: 53°25′43.4″N 14°33′10.6″E / 53.428722°N 14.552944°E / 53.428722; 14.552944
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William I Monument
The William I Monument in 1900.
Map
53°25′43.4″N 14°33′10.6″E / 53.428722°N 14.552944°E / 53.428722; 14.552944
LocationPolish Soldier Square, Szczecin, Poland
DesignerKarl Hilgers
TypeEquestrian statue
MaterialBronze, stone
Opening date1 November 1894
Dedicated toWilliam I
Dismantled date31 July 1945

The William I Monument[a] was a monument in Szczecin, Poland, in form of an equestrian statue of William I, emperor of Germany from 1871 to 1888. It was designed by sculptor Karl Hilgers and unveiled on 1 November 1894 at the King Square (now Polish Soldier Square). The monument was dismantled on 31 July 1945.

History

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The William I Monument as seen from the King Square (now Polish Soldier Square).

On 1 November 1894, at the King Square (now known as the Polish Soldier Square) the monument dedicated to William I, emperor of Germany from 1871 to 1888, was unveiled. It was designed by sculptor Karl Hilgers and manufactured by Berlin-based company Schäffer und Walker. The monument was funded from the donations from city inhabitants. It consisted of a bronze statue of the emperor on a horse, placed on a stone pedestal, with bronze sculptures of the soldiers around it.[1]

During World War II, the statues of the soldiers in the William I Monument were taken down to be melted for materials. After the end of the war, on 31 July 1945, the monument was torn down by the Polish inhabitants of the city. The statue was then taken to Denmark and melted. It was used to manufacture a replica of the Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski Monument in Warsaw, which was destroyed during the war.[1][2]

In its place, on 26 April 1950, was unveiled the Monument of Graduate to the Soviet Army.[1] It was deconstructed in November 2017.[3]

Characteristics

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The monument was placed at the northern end of the King Square (now Polish Soldier Square) and at the beginning of Emperor William Street (now John Paul II Avenue). It included a bronze statue of the emperor William I on a horse, wearing a military uniform and a helmet with a war bonnet. It was placed on a white stone Gothic Revivial pedestal, with depictions of historical scenes on its walls. Around its corners were placed bronze statues of the soldiers.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ German: Wilhelmsdenkmal; Polish: Pomnik Wilhelma I

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Encyklopedia Szczecina, vol. 2: P–Ż. Szczecin: University of Szczecin, 2000, p. 151–154. ISBN 83-7241-089-5. (in Polish)
  2. ^ Hanna Kotkowska-Bareja: Pomnik Poniatowskiego. Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1971, p. 72. (in Polis)
  3. ^ "Pomnik Wdzięczności dla Armii Czerwonej zniknął. Taka jest teraz perspektywa al. Papieża Jana Pawła II [ZDJĘCIA]". szczecin.wyborcza pl (in Polish). 19 November 2017.


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