Richard Wagner Grove

The history of a Leipzig memorial to Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) is as eventful as the composer's relationship with his hometown. Immediately after Richard Wagner's death, a committee was formed in 1883 to erect a memorial to Richard Wagner in Leipzig. After several unsatisfactory designs by various artists, the Leipzig sculptor and painter Max Klinger (1857 - 1920) was commissioned in 1904. He was virtually predestined for this task, as he had just completed a bust of Wagner for the "Leipzig Music Room" at the 1904 World Exhibition in St. Louis.

The difficult search for a convincing monumental solution, the outbreak of the First World War and a lack of funds delayed the planned execution. Max Klinger's death in 1920 ultimately prevented the project from being completed. Only the marble plinth (2 m x 2 m x 2.9 m) with figures from Wagner's operas could be completed. This was to support a 5.3 m high statue of Richard Wagner. The pedestal stood from 1924 to 2009 in the Klinger Grove at the Elsterflutbett, also known as the Richard Wagner Grove.

The completed monument has been standing in the park at Goederlering since 2010. Today, the Richard Wagner Grove is a park adjacent to Clara Zetkin Park. In summer, it is the venue for the annual Leipzig Radio Play Summer.

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