- CountryGermany
- Town:Düsseldorf
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Year of creation:1896
- Rider(s):Wilhelm I
(1797–1888), who was almost the opposite of Otto von Bismarck, the Minister President with whom he realized the unification of Germany. Bismarck was a tough man with reactionary policies, but Wilhelm was polite, gentlemanly, and despite being a staunch conservative, more open to some liberal ideas than for example his grandson Wilhelm II.
- Sculptor(s):Janssen, Karl
(1855 – 1927) was a German sculptor working in the Baroque revival tradition
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No less than 65 equestrian statues of Wilhelm I have been created and erected over the years. Fifty of these statues were destroyed, most of them (31) during WW II, 5 before and 9 after that war and unknown when 5. Of the remaining 15 statues one was sold at an auction in 1981 to a private person and one was reconstructed, leaving 15 equestrian statues of Wilhelm I in public space.
Some of the existing statues are in poor condition, such as the ones in Düsseldorf, Essen and Nuremberg.
