Statue of Friedrich II of Prussia Torgau

A bronze statue of King Friedrich II of Prussia once stood on the Friedrichplatz in Torgau. The square lies in the heart of the town, surrounded by streets lined with buildings. The monument was raised in 1912 at the instigation of the local antiquities society. Its sculptor, Hans Arnold, created a figure that points with a walking stick towards the Süptitzer Höhen. The inscription on the pedestal reads ‘Friedrich der Grosse’ in capital letters. The statue commemorated the last major battle of the Seven Years’ War fought near Torgau on 3 November 1760. Below the king, an eagle with outspread wings perched over the words ‘Dem Sieger von Torgau 3. November 1760’. The pose was unusually dynamic, with the king taking a forward step. In 1937 the monument was lit by several floodlights in the evenings. Today the square shows no trace of the statue. A heavy vehicle pulled it from its pedestal around 1947 and the bronze vanished without record. Visitors still walk past the empty plinth and read the inscriptions that remain. The surrounding streets keep the same layout as in 1912, giving a sense of where the monument once stood.