The Göttingen Seven

The Denkmal der Göttinger Sieben stands in Hannover before the Plenarsaal of the Niedersächsischer Landtag at the Platz der Göttinger Sieben. It was created by the Italian sculptor Floriano Bodini for Expo 2000 with funds from the city and the state. The bronze figures recall seven professors who defended constitutional rights in the 19th century. The seven men—Friedrich Dahlmann, Wilhelm Albrecht, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Heinrich Ewald, Georg Gervinus and Wilhelm Weber—refused to swear an unconstitutional oath in 1837. Their stand became a symbol of civil courage and civic virtue. The monument’s six-metre portal interrupts their gathering, showing three figures leaving for exile while four remain. Visitors see life-size bronze figures arranged on broad steps and a raised platform. A student figure stands to one side, carrying forward their ideals. Beyond the half-open gate lies an open space behind the Leineschloss. The artist gave the faces modern traits while dressing the figures in antique robes. One face is Bodini’s self-portrait of Jacob Grimm.