Goethe-Denkmal

On the Naschmarkt in Leipzig, a neo-Baroque bronze monument commemorates Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Dedicated in 1903, the work by sculptor Carl Seffner shows the poet as a young man, during the nearly three years he spent studying in the city. The 2.65-meter figure stands on a tall pedestal of red granite and is dressed in a Rococo costume. In its right hand it holds a book, suggesting intellectual pursuits during a stroll. The pedestal bears inscriptions noting Goethe's name and his time as a student in Leipzig from 1765 to 1868. Especially striking are the relief portraits on the sides: on the left, in profile, Friederike Oeser, the daughter of his drawing teacher, and on the right, facing forward, Anna Katharina Schönkopf, his first great love. These local connections tie the monument closely to the history of the city and to the Old Trade Exchange (Alte Handelsbörse) behind it. Here you'll find an atmospheric spot that recalls Goethe's youth and his literary beginnings.