Dog Statues – The German Spitz

Text and illustrations by Ria Hörter

“They are frozen in time and sometimes deceptively real. Perpetuated in stone or bronze, looking over water, streets, parks or squares, dog statues can be found all over the world.”

King Wilhelm II von Württemburg and his dogs
– German Spitz –
Hermann-Christian Zimmele
The Last King of Württemberg

The Wilhelmspalais was built in Stuttgart, the capital of BadenWürttemberg, Germany, between 1834 and 1840, by the Italian architect Giovanni Salucci (1769- 1845). His client was King Wilhelm I von Wüttemburg, who commissioned the palace for his eldest daughters, the Princesses Marie and Sophie. Subsequently, Wilhelmspalais became the official residence of the last king of Wüttemberg (1891-1918): Wilhelm II.

After 1918, the city of Stuttgart used the palace as an exhibition center. It was mostly destroyed during World War II, then rebuilt between 1961 and 1965. The Stadtbücherei (public library) was housed there until 2011 then, as soon as the library found a new home, the Wilhelmspalais was refurbished as a museum, which opened in 2016.

Generously Compensated

A statue of King Wilhelm II (1848-1921) stands to the left of the palace steps. Hermann-Christian Zimmele (1921-95), a graduate of the Royal Academy of Munich, completed the bronze in 1991.

Wilhelm is depicted as a small, smart gentleman dressed in walking clothes, with tie and breast-pocket handkerchief, a hat and walking stick. His moustache and beard are in the style the German Kaiser had made fashionable – the Kaiser Wilhelm Schnurrbart. With him are two small dogs. To be precise, they are German Spitzen posing alertly by their royal owner. The king was a modest man and so is his statue. People walking by the palace and statue don’t always realize it’s a statue of a king.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=116158

Posted by Alex on Dec 2 2016. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.