Friedrich-List-Denkmal

The Friedrich-List-Denkmal stands in Leipzig’s Schwanenteich park near the Georgiring. It honoured Friedrich List, Gustav Harkort and the Leipzig-Dresdner Eisenbahn-Compagnie. The original monument, created by Adolf Lehnert, was unveiled in 1927 and destroyed in 1944. Today only the two marble busts survive, now placed in Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. The monument’s long history reflects the rise of German railways. Gustav Harkort’s bust was added in 1878, marking his role as an early railway pioneer. Lehnert’s bronze reliefs showed key moments: List with the company’s founders and King Friedrich August II with his family after their first train journey. High-ranking guests attended the 1927 unveiling, including Gustav Stresemann and Kurt Wiedenfeld. Visitors find the two restored busts on the main station’s west platform. Each stands on a granite pedestal with a winged railway wheel in relief. The original bronze panels, once on the park’s stone wall, are lost. The setting remains calm beside the Schwanenteich, a quiet place to remember the railway pioneers.