Schiller-Denkmal München

The Schiller monument stands on the north-eastern edge of Munich’s Maximiliansplatz. It was commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria and designed by the sculptor Max Widnmann in bronze and stone. The statue shows Schiller in an open cloak beside a stack of books, his right hand lowered with a laurel wreath and his left hand resting on his chest.

The bronze figure rises from a stone pedestal. On the front the pedestal bears the name ‘Friedrich von Schiller’ in capital letters. On the rear it records that the monument was erected by Ludwig I, King of Bavaria, in 1863.

Visitors find the statue framed by the surrounding square and nearby buildings. The open pose of the figure and the books at its feet suggest the poet’s lifelong engagement with literature. The contrast between bronze and stone gives the work a quiet dignity.