Unique "Bronze Dog" Photo...

[Hundestaffel]

I just obtained this unique "Bronze Dog" photo, and would appreciate if anyone can positively identify where this photo was taken. Note the extremely clean and well maintained "park like" grounds, and what may be the plinth of another sculpture / display of some type just in front of the nearest tree off to the left. No official Hunde School in Germany I know of had such sculptures, plus the dog not being a revered Deutscher Schäferhund makes me think that this photo was possibly (??) taken outside of German borders...


"Hundestaffel"

[SiPo]

Great photo, afraid I can't help with location though.

[Gerdan]

I found the dog:

http://wassenberg.files.wordpress.co...pg?w=900&h=600


Ludwig Wilhelm Wichnmann - Stadtpark Hamburg


Gerdan

[Gerdan]

The correct name of the sculptor is "Wichmann".

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wilhelm_Wichmann

http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h...w=1272&bih=808


Gerdan

[Gerdan]

Just to explain the sculpture of the dog:

Ludwig Wilhelm Wichmann 1788-1859; Professor an der Akademie der Künste Berlin; fertigte dort auch das Winkelmann-Denkmal.
Der Bronzehund war Grabdekoration für den Oberalten Johann Martens, der auf dem damaligen St. Nikolai-Friedhof bestattet war, der 1842 vor dem Dammtor angelegt wurde. Nach der Eröffnung des Ohlsdorfer Friedhofs 1877 wurde auch der St. Nikolai-Friedhof kaum noch genutzt und in den 1930er Jahren aufgelöst. Dabei kam die Hundeskulptur in den Stadtpark, wobei sie damals erst auf einem Kinderspielplatz gestanden hat, bis der 'Treue Hund' auf den Schachplatz in der Nähe vom Landhaus versetzt wurde.

It came from the decoration of the grave of Johann Martens. He was burried in the St. Nikolai-Cemetery in Hamburg. This cemetary was closed about 1930. The "Dog" sculpture was moved to the Stadtpark. It is called der "Treue Hund" - "Faithful Dog".


Gerdan

[Hundestaffel]

Gerdan:

Absolutely Fantastik !!!

Many, many thankx for this information (all of which I have printed off and filed) and for making the time / effort to look into this....


"Hundestaffel"

[Eric JB]

Hundestaffel,

That is a nice photo you show us here.

Gerdan, as always, you are a great help here on WAF.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[Michael73]

Congrats! Top image

[SiPo]

Bravo Sir Gerdan, bravo.

[zbv500]

Dear Sir, very nice foto and good ID job of Gerdan. Would be great to have a "then & now" pic if the pet is still there.

Jens

[Hundestaffel]

Dear Sir

Sir ???

Onkel Jens, have you been drinking (again) ???

;-)


"Bierstaffel"

[Gerdan]

zbv500

Here the only photo I know showing the original grave situation with the dog on top of the memorial slab / gravestone


Gerdan

[HoydenR]

More so that who sculpted the dog statue, I am interested in finding out who Oberalten Johann Martens was and why he had a bronze dog on his grave.

First I needed to identify the breed of dog. I am not the most knowledgeable about retriever breeds as my expertise lies more with molossers, terriers, guardian breeds as well as dogs more commonly used for work, so I consulted with Scottie Westfall aka Retrieverman. He is hands down one of the MOST knowledgeable people I know when it comes to dog breeds and dog history.

"It looks to be a Newfoundland. It could be an old Hovawart, too. But I'd say a Newfoundland."

Hundestaffel - I thought this was particularly interesting considering the Newfie documents that I saw you posted in another thread.


Continuing on, I put "oberalten" into several translators and got "Upper Old" but that made no sense to me and my language background associates "oberalten" with alderman, so I did some digging and found this:

• From the end of the 1520s in Hamburg the Oberalten were honary guardians of the poor. They had constitutional authority and could advise and decide on matters concerning the government and administration of the city.

You can read a little further and get a better idea of their function here: Patriots and paupers: Hamburg, 1712-1830


Now we know what the man did, but this were I run into a dead end & my google-fu has failed me for the moment. I can't find more info on Oberalten Johann Martens, his accomplishments, who the dog was and the significance of the dog to him to warrant commissioning such a piece to put on his grave.


While browsing dog related articles at auction several years ago, I stumbled across this lot and it immediately came to mind when I saw the statue due to the wavy fur on the dog: Jack Collector for L.& S.W.Ry. Servants Orphanage London district

I am not sure if the practice of using dogs to collect alms for different charities was common in Germany as it was in England & other parts of Europe, but in the back of my head, I am wondering if this dog perhaps served that function?

Anyway, I am going to continue to look into this further as it has piqued my curiosity quite a bit.